Things had settled into a disjointed sort of rhythm in Shell Cottage. Housing seven wizards and an ornery goblin was no easy task, but Bill and Fleur handled it with grace. Dean, Seamus, and Luna helped out with as many chores as they could to make their stay easier.

Soon after arriving, the trio had taken to shutting themselves in the smallest bedroom all day with Griphook, only emerging for mealtimes. If Bill and Fleur were upset about the trio's seclusion and planning, they didn't show it. Everyone seemed to accept to some grudging degree that those three would do whatever they felt they had to, and nobody could stop them. Bill remarked once that it was remarkably similar to living with Fred and George again, though without any explosions. Fleur simply sniffed and was as hospitable as possible, as if trying to persuade them to stop their antics with the promise of baked goods.

It was almost easy to forget they were in the middle of a war, like they were all living in the cramped cottage because they'd chosen to. It did feel like they were family now, as Bill had said. But one just had to look at Ollivander's frail face and remember. Not to mention the Daily Prophets that Bill picked up from time to time on his outings to the city, and the ever-present feeling of needing to look over one's shoulder.

In mid-April, Ollivander was well enough to go live with Bill's Aunt Muriel and the rest of the Weasleys. Ron's face pinched when Bill announced he'd be helping Ollivander make the trip later in the week, and the two went for a walk on the cliffs after supper that night.

Luna was a delight to have around. She kept everyone's spirits up with her banter and odd stories about her father, the Quibbler, and the myriad of creatures they believed in.

"Honestly, though," Dean said to Seamus one night, "it's not that outlandish. I mean, Muggles are still discovering new species all the time. Who's to say some of these things don't exist?"

"You really believe there's a one-ton boar living in a mountain in Greece?"

"I didn't believe in witches and wizards and unicorns before I got my letter, so who's to say?" Dean replied with a shrug.

There was one entertaining night in particular when Luna wondered if there were any sighting of the Red Dwarf before the war, a kind of hobgoblin that was believed to be a precursor to catastrophy.

"Oui, le Nain Rouge!" Fleur exclaimed. "Ma mère used to frighten me with stories of him!"

"Oh yes, they're quite tricky," Luna said. "And they get violent if you approach them. My father once…"

Bill looked at Dean and Seamus and shrugged, and they all laughed while the two women bonded over French creatures.

Now they were awaiting Bill's return from taking Ollivander to Muriel's. They all sat around the table, squished in arm to arm next to each other as they ate. The silence was heavy in Bill and Ollivander's absence, and Fleur kept anxiously checking out the window for Bill's return. He did return, though, with a tangled mess of storm-blown hair and a bright smile.

"Everything's fine," Bill said as he came in.

Seamus let out a breath and realized he hadn't expected to be so tense. Bill had only taken a few trips out of the cottage in the month and a half they'd been here, but they'd all gone over easily. This one was longer, though, and involved transporting a person of interest. Nobody had voiced it, but they'd all been worried about what could happen.

Luna was in the middle of telling a story about her father when there was a sharp rap on the front door. Everything went silent and still. Bill and the trio immediately pointed their wands at the door as Fleur dashed out of the kitchen and Griphook hid beneath the table. Dean gripped Seamus' hand underneath the table, then grabbed Luna's too. Only now did it occur to Seamus that hiding out with the Boy Who Lived was probably not the safest thing to do.

"Who is it?" Bill shouted, his voice steady and strong.

"It is I, Remus John Lupin!"

Dean and Seamus looked at each other. Could it be? The voice was familiar, but could it really be him? And if so, why was he here?

"I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you, the Secret-Keeper of Shell Cottage, told me the address and bade me come in an emergency!"

Emergency. Seamus' gut twisted as Bill ran forward and ripped open the door. Lupin practically tripped into the cottage, looking storm-battered and pale. He looked around, momentarily shocked by the amount of people in the room, then exclaimed, "It's a boy! We've named him Ted, after Dora's father!"

Everyone squealed with joy and relief at the unexpected news. Hermione and Fleur embraced each other in their excitement as Bill clapped Lupin on the back. Lupin approached Harry and declared that he was the godfather, bringing more cheers and exclamations. Bill pulled out a bottle of wine and as many goblets as he could muster.

Seamus slipped his hand into Dean's, and they stood on the edge of the small, celebratory crowd.

"Ted," Dean whispered.

"I know," Seamus replied.

After a while, Lupin seemed to notice his former students and strode over to them. Panic seized in Seamus' chest as he realized they were the last ones to see Ted Tonks alive. Ted had died while travelling with them. If they hadn't gone into the city, if they'd stayed and fought, if they had separated sooner—

"Professor—" Seamus started.

Lupin held up a hand and waved away the title with a smile. "Please, boys, none of that."

"I'm so sorry," Dean said. "Ted, he—Mr. Tonks, that is, well—it's our fault, sir."

Their former teacher reached out and gripped their upper arms, staring at them in turn. "Dora and I do not blame you in the slightest. We grieve his loss, yes, but it was not your fault."

"He saved us," Seamus said. "I don't know what we would've done if he hadn't found us."

"And he talked about his daughter a lot. He really loved her, said he was so proud of her," Dean added. "Will you tell her that? And tell her we're sorry?"

Lupin's eyes went a little glassy, and he nodded. "I will. Thank you, Dean, Shea. I made Harry godfather already, but you can be uncles if you want?"

Dean and Seamus grinned and nodded, and Lupin turned back to the other celebrators. Seamus chuckled slightly and hung his head in thought.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"I was just thinkin'…" Seamus mumbled. "Almost a year ago, me mam cast me out. I felt so alone, except for ye. And now I have an entire family. A huge, extended family. It's just all so unexpected."

"You might have some competition in family size if Lupin keeps making everybody aunts and uncles," Dean joked. "This kid's gonna have an army of relatives."

Seamus rolled his eyes, and Dean hugged him tightly. They stood like that for a long while, not caring who saw. They were all family now, after all.

Eventually, Dean excused himself to go to the bathroom, and Hermione approached Seamus.

"Hey, Shea," she said, hugging him in greeting.

"It's, uh, Seamus now, actually," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. It was easier, somehow, to tell people who'd never known him as Shea or Siobhan, and part of him still feared rejection, even from people who'd supported him from day one. "Ye can still call me Shea, though."

"Seamus," she repeated with a wide smile. "That's brilliant, fits you perfectly."

"I hope ye lot are being careful about whatever ye're planning," Seamus said after a moment. "I don't want anything bad to happen to ye."

Her eyes softened. "I'm afraid being careful is secondary in this case."

"I figured," he said. "It's good to see ye, though. It's so hard, not knowing…"

"Yes," she agreed. "I think about everyone at Hogwarts, on the run, in hiding. How many people we'll never see again." She looked up at him, a soft twinkle in her brown eyes. "I'm glad you and Dean have each other, though. And that you two seem to have figured things out."

Seamus blushed. "Ye noticed?"

"I think everyone noticed a long time ago," Hermione replied.

"And what about ye and Ron?" he countered.

She pursed her lips and ducked her head, glancing over at where Harry, Ron, and Bill were laughing together, goblets of wine in their hands. Ron noticed her looking and began to wave enthusiastically with the hand that held the wine, which Harry immediately grabbed and stopped from spilling everywhere. They all grinned at each other.

"I think we're getting there," she replied evenly.

Dean returned then, and the three of them rejoined the rest in the celebrations, in this one bright spot among all the darkness.

HPHPHP

A week later, it was announced that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook would be leaving the cabin soon. Fleur was visibly upset about it, but nobody did anything to stop them; they knew they couldn't. Bill helped the trio gather any supplies that they needed, and they took off early one morning. Dean, Seamus, and Luna couldn't help but wonder if they'd ever see them again.

The rest of that day had been relatively quiet. Luna continued exploring the capabilities of the new wand Ollivander had sent her a couple days ago, and even let Dean and Seamus practice some, but it didn't feel right in their hands. Its magic was too flighty and whimsical for them, but it suited Luna just perfectly.

That evening, Bill came home in a rush. He'd gone out to keep an eye and ear out for any news of the trio now that they were out and about again.

"What eez it?" Fleur asked in a worried tone as he dove for the radio on the mantle in the living room.

Bill tapped his wand against the radio, muttering passwords under his breath as he tuned it to various stations. Finally, it crackled to life with the familiar voices of Potterwatch.

"—out of London!" cried what sounded like Lee Jordan.

"I wonder what the Prophet'll say tomorrow," said either Fred or George. "It'll be hard to cover this up for sure!"

"For those who are joining us now," said the other twin, "we've got exciting news for you on this extra special surprise broadcast! It may sound unbelievable, but it's true. Harry Potter has been sighted. Potterwatch has now successfully watched Potter."

"But dear Harry was not only sighted—"

"—oh no, Rapier, our Potter pal always has to make a splash."

"Potter and his two compatriots were seen today on the back of a dragon—a familiar sight for anyone who attended the Triwizard Tournament three years ago."

"But this was no Hungarian Horntail. It was in fact the very dragon rumored to have been guarding the deepest Gringotts vaults for decades now. That is right, listeners, not only has Harry Potter successfully broken into Gringotts—he also escaped on a dragon."

"And here to talk to us about this very special dragon," Lee broke back in, "is none other than our guest dragon expert, Ridgeback!"

"Thank you for having me," came a gruff voice.

Bill beamed at the radio. "Charlie! I thought he was still in Romania!"

Fleur shushed him, and they all refocused on the broadcast.

"Now, Ridgeback, what can you tell us about this dragon?"

"From what I can tell from the eyewitness accounts, I'll wager that it's a Ukrainian Ironbelly. Ironbellies are the largest breed, which makes them quite slower in flight than your average dragon, but it can still deal a great amount of damage."

"Now, how do you think Gringotts acquired such a dragon?"

"There've been rumors about a dragon in Gringotts for ages, but nobody thought they were true. The goblins probably got it either as an egg or a very young hatchling and raised it in the vaults. The last time Ironbellies were actively bred was during World War I, when there was a push to use them on the front lines. Naturally, that proved a disaster, so the project was scrapped, but undoubtedly some eggs slipped through the cracks, and I'm willing to bet one ended up at Gringotts."

"And how did the goblins manage to control it?"

"Well, dragons are notoriously dangerous and forbidden for good reason. They're unbelievably hard to subdue, so it's likely been tortured and abused for its entire life. It's also probably blind, having spent its whole life in the dark of the vaults."

"So, Ridgeback, what do you think the chances of survival are for Harry and his friends?"

"If it was anyone else, I'd say next to none, but we're talking about the Boy Who Lived, and this isn't his first dragon encounter. I think he'll be fine."

"You heard it folks, straight from the mouth of a dragon expert. Harry Potter will likely live to tell the tale of how he broke into Gringotts and flew out on a dragon."

"And what a tale that will be! I think I can hear Rita Skeeter buzzing for the scoop from whatever rock she's…"

Bill turned away from the radio and slumped into an armchair. The whole room was stunned. Even Luna didn't seem to have anything to say. Bill dragged his hands over his face and chuckled.

"I knew they were planning something," Bill muttered, his voice muffled from his hands. "From the way they kept conspiring with Griphook, I thought maybe it had something to do with the bank. But this?" He laughed again and brought his hands away from his face, eyes cast up toward the ceiling. "Those three are capable of anything, aren't they?"

HPHPHP

"I'd say it was fake if I'd heard it anywhere else," Seamus said later that night after the broadcast had ended.

Him, Dean, and Luna were all sitting on one of the twins in the second bedroom, where Dean, Seamus, Ron, and Harry had been sleeping since Ollivander left. Fleur had set up two of the cots from the living room for the four of them, but one had gone unused. Dean and Seamus had shared a bed before, and they didn't think they could manage sleeping on opposite sides of a room after months lying next to each other.

"This feels big," Dean said. "That definitely got You-Know-Who's attention. They're not laying low anymore, and it feels like something is going to happen."

"Do you think they'll go back to Hogwarts?" Luna asked.

"Why would they?"

"Well they went to Gringotts to get something, right?" Dean said. "What if they need multiple somethings. What if that's what they've been doing this whole time, building a weapon or something, and they've been looking for the parts."

"A weapon? Like a Muggle blaster or something?"

"Gun," Dean corrected.

"So ye think they need something at Hogwarts?" Seamus asked. "But it's being run by Snape! They can't get in!"

"Neville said that if Harry ever came back, it meant we would revolt against Snape and the Carrows and take Hogwarts back," Luna said, eyes bright with the thought.

Seamus thought again of his friends and Parvati and the group they'd created. He wondered if Parvati had told Lavender how she felt, or if she was still keeping it a secret. He thought about Dumbledore's Army and the students and wondered if they were still fighting back, or if most of them had given up. Luna had talked about the things the Death Eaters did in the fall, before she'd been taken at Christmas: torture, pureblood propaganda, and more. It had sounded like another world, like another place.

Fleur came by shortly to send them all to bed, ushering Luna out to the smallest bedroom. Dean and Seamus made it look like they were sleeping in the separate beds, but then Seamus sneaked back over to Dean's bed and crawled in beside him.

As Dean wrapped his arms around Seamus and they settled in for the night, Seamus thought about what life would have been like if he hadn't gone on the run with Dean, if he'd stayed. He liked to think he would've led Dumbledore's Army with Neville, Ginny, and Luna, despite not having been part of it the first time around. Being apart from Dean would've been the worst kind of torture, though, not knowing what his best friend was doing or if he was alive.

He tucked his head under Dean's chin and wondered what their life would be like after all this, if there was an after. Would they ever get a chance to be normal again? Would they ever leave Shell Cottage? Would they get the chance to go on a real date and explore this relationship?

"I love ye," he whispered like he did every night.

"I love you too," Dean whispered.

Seamus lifted his head so he could look Dean in the eyes. It was dark, so he could feel Dean's gaze more than he could see it. Heart fluttering in his chest, he leaned forward and pressed their lips together. He hoped that all of this would be over someday, if only so he and Dean could have more than stolen moments together.

As he drifted off to sleep, there was a sharp double knock at the door. Seamus rolled out of bed, mussed the covers of the other bed for good measure, and then went to open the door. Luna was standing there, her hair sticking out wildly around her head, her hand enclosed in a fist and held out toward him.

"Luna? Luna, what's wrong?" he asked.

Dean rushed over as Luna tilted her fist palm up and opened it. Lying in the center of her hand was her old Dumbledore's Army Galleon.

"I've kept it with me since last year when the Death Eaters invaded," she said. "I'd hoped it would signal again, and—" She smiled. "Well, look for yourselves."

Seamus picked up the Galleon, which was pulsing with heat, but he didn't know what to make of it since he'd never had one. Dean took it from him, tilting it to the side to read the numbers. But there weren't numbers engraved on the side. Instead there were three words: NOW HOGS HEAD.

"It's a message from Neville. Harry and the others must be at Hogwarts," Luna said.

"Why does it say Hog's Head?" Seamus asked, bewildered.

"That must be the meeting point," Dean replied.

"What are we waiting for?" Luna asked, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. "Let's go!"