Potential trigger re: Lockdown! There's a quick chat about the mental health affects of being locked inside for months and made me tear up re: 2020 when writing it so just want to warn everyone. England is still under lockdown rules, easing soon (yay). I've stripped it back, but yeah, thought I'd warn!

Moody pulled Bess into a small sitting room, a snug, leading from the dining room, and shoved her onto an armchair as he kept walking and sat down on a stool opposite her. As Dumbledore closed the door, she asked, "What- what's going on? Is this because I flew off the handle at Margot? Because I stand by-"

"No. Half that room agrees with her. The other half is currently talking to the boy," Moody growled. "This is about you."

"You haven't spoken to him..." Bess said, staring out the older wizard. "What's your stance?"

"I don't have one," he said.

"Yes you do. Everyone does."

Moody appraised her for a moment. When she didn't break his gaze, he sighed heavily and walked back over to the door. He opened it and shouted, "Oi! Lupin." All chatter stopped in the room. "You read Hairy Snout, Human Heart?" there was a pause before he said, "good. Now everyone who thinks he's dangerous, read that book. And leave him alone. He's a good egg."

Bess frowned as Moody slammed the door shut and sat back down.

"You don't even know him..." she whispered, shocked that he'd called Remus a good egg as well.

"Don't need to know him to know he's a good'un, do I? From the sounds of things he's a credit to the school. Now," he said, and Bess smiled, suddenly feeling incredibly safe with the man, and much less worried about what he was going to say.

"Bess, Alastor is one of the most respected Au-" Dumbledore began.

"I know who you are," she said, looking at Moody still. "I know that you're... you're incredibly skilled at what you do, and you're fair. Like... like I know that you've been authorised to use unforgivable curses. But I... I don't think you do?" Bess nodded as Moody shook his head. "So... uh- then I'm guessing this is about Delbert?"

Moody nodded.

When he didn't say anything, she added, "And I'm guessing... my safety?"

Again, he nodded.

"Uh- Dumbl-" she cut off and looked at the older wizard who was still standing by the door. "Sorry, Professor Dumbledore said that I have to be careful, and not really leave the castle right now?"

Another nod.

Bess continued, "And he told you about..."

"Greyback, yes," he said, finally breaking his silence.

"So this is a Death-Eaters-Are-Going-To-Kill-You intervention?" she asked, sitting up straighter in the armchair.

"Well... I'm not convinced that Delbert is a Death Eater," Moody said quietly.

"The world's not split into Death Eaters and good guys," Bess muttered as she paraphrased the quote.

"That's a rather mature take on the state of things," Moody said, raising an eyebrow.

"Sirius said it, not me," she said, ducking her head. She wasn't lying - Sirius would say it, only not for another 15 years at least.

"I should have a word," Moody said, sitting back in his chair. "Sounds like the kind of person we need in the department."

"The same department which is still letting Delbert work even though he helped kill Daphne's parents, Lucas, and torture me?" she asked angrily.

"That's part of what we need to talk to you about, Bess," Dumbledore said calmly.

"Barracus," Moody growled, referring to Delbert by his surname, "has officially been connected to Selket's murder. As of last night, he's on the run."

"You let me out of the castle knowing he could get me?" Bess cried, standing up and looking around as if he was in the room.

"Nothing came of it," Moody said, motioning for her to sit down.

"And what if it had?" she asked, ignoring him.

He sighed. "We had six Order members tailing you. You were fine."

"But... wait... Jasper said it was only two or three. That means you were all hoping he'd show but he didn't! Did... did Jasper know you were baiting Delbert?" she asked, her voice changing from loud to a whisper as she finished, a deep sad frown on her face as she wondered if Jasper had intentionally misled her.

"No. But he's already one of the best Aurors in the department. He would have worked it out," Dumbledore said.

"Yeah, best because we're dying left, right and centre," Moody muttered.

"So Delbert knew I was being moved as well?"

"He knew to stay away, that's what he knew," Moody said in an annoyed tone. "Now sit down, girl. We need to talk about your safety. The Order can't babysit you all year."

Bess did as she was told and watched as Dumbledore walked around the sofa and settled on a comfortable looking chair by the fire.

"Bess, you know too much about the war," Dumbledore said. "That makes you a target for Voldemort and his followers. I believe that the best way to keep you safe would be to-"

"Wait. I want Sirius here for this," Bess said, standing and walking over to the door.

"Bess, I think this would be best if-" Dumbledore tried.

"No. Sirius keeps a level head when I'm freaking out, and I keep a level head when he is. I need him here, just in case. I don't want any more misunderstandings," she said as she reached the door, and pulled it open.

The chatter in the room died down instantly, and she took in a deep breath before calling out, "Sirius, could you?" and motioning for him to come over. He immediately dropped his plate onto the table and walked over. As he reached her, Bess looked over at her friends and saw their confused looks. Not wanting to repeat everything again - she still needed to work up the courage to tell them, and Sirius, what her vision had been about - she added, "And James, Lily, Remus, would you-" before she could finish her sentence they were on their way over, Lily stuffing a too-big sausage roll into her mouth as they went.

"It's weird that I'm really attracted to you right now, isn't it?" James asked Lily as they reached Bess. He received a full-mouthed smile in return and grimaced in slight disgust. "Yeah, definitely weird."

They poured into the room and all took up residence on the sofa, apart from Sirius who sat on the arm of Bess' chair and put a calming hand on her shoulder as the door swung shut again.

"Is this really necessary?" Moody asked, huffing out a breath.

"Yes. They'll all know soon anyway. I'd rather you tell us together than them have an abridged and twisted version later," she said, tilting her head to the side so that the top of her head rested against Sirius' side.

Dumbledore took a moment before he said, "Bess, we believe that it would be best if you stayed at Hogwarts Castle over the summer. It would be the safest place for you."

"What? The whole summer?" Bess asked slowly, a look of confusion coming over her face - Dumbledore hadn't even let Harry stay at the castle over the summer. Dumbledore nodded. "But I'd be able to have visitors right? And go out into the grounds?"

"Unfortunately no. You would need to stay within the castle walls, preferably within the Gryffindor tower, as it has an added layer of protection," Dumbledore said. "And as there will be minimal staff over the summer, you wouldn't be able to have visitors unless we could vet them as they came in to the castle, which would be difficult."

Bess' mouth fell open.

"Wait, so you're saying that she wouldn't be allowed to go anywhere? Or do anything? Or see anyone?" Remus asked incredulously.

Dumbledore nodded. "For now. It would be the safest thing to do. It is the only place that we know is secure enough, and even then, if he truly wanted to, Voldemort could infiltrate Hogwarts."

James rubbed his chin and said, "Merlin. It's like you're putting her in prison or something."

"No. I'm not doing it," Bess said, sitting upright, having had a moment to think about it.

"You have to," Sirius replied in a firm voice, his hand rubbing circles into her back. "If it'll keep you safe, you have to."

"No I don't!" Bess said, moving away from Sirius and sitting on the edge of the seat. She could feel the loss of his warmth immediately and partly regretted the movement. From the look on his face, he hadn't expected her to argue or to move away from him.

"Yes you do," he said loudly.

"No. You promised we'd spent the rest of my life living recklessly. You can't just agree with Dumbledore and Moody about this," she said in a confused and hurt tone.

"Bess, I don't want to lose you, so you have to do this. You have to keep yourself safe this summer, so you won't d-" he sighed deeply, his face contorted will sorrow. "So you won't die."

"Wait, what?" Lily cried, jumping up and staring at Bess with giant eyes.

Bess sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She rubbed her forehead and said, "I lied about my vision. It... it was important."

"Oh my god, Bess! Are you... are you sure it's not just you going home or something?" Lily asked, and Bess shook her head. Lily gasped and let out a sob, and Bess jumped up to pull her into a tight hug. "You have to be safe then, I agree with Sirius. You'll have to stay in the castle."

"No," Bess said, pulling away. "No. I have to live while I still can."

"What? That's crazy!" Lily cried.

"No it's not! They want me to stay inside forever!" Bess said in an annoyed tone.

"No! Just until they find Delbert," Sirius said in an exasperated tone.

"And Greyback," Moody said. When Bess' gaze snapped to his, he seemed to realise what he'd said. "You haven't told them?"

"GREY- WHAT? BESS!" Sirius shouted, jumping up and staring at her.

Bess pursed her lips and waited a moment. She could see the terror on Remus' face and didn't want to scare him further.

"THAT'S WHY YOU KNEW IT WOULD BE AT A FULL MOON?" Sirius shouted again, his voice breaking as he barely held it together. "Bess! You have to-" he said, his voice dropping to a whisper as he stared at her, but Bess wouldn't meet his gaze.

"No. Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not living the remainder of my life locked inside," Bess said firmly. She couldn't believe that they would think that they should - not them, not the Marauders, and certainly not Sirius.

"Bess, it's the right thing to do. You have to," Sirius said, reaching out to her.

She dodged out of his embrace and replied, "No. Because if I say yes, next thing is they'll say that I'm not even allowed out of the dorm room or something. And you know this would mean I couldn't come to the flat. We couldn't live together! And whatever we do, the vision will happen anyway!"

"But what if it doesn't?" Sirius pleaded.

"Yes, Bess, what happens if this vision does come true because of your actions? What would happen to the plans that we have already set in motion?" Dumbledore asked calmly, appraising her with his sparkling blue eyes, which had a hard edge to them.

"Oh please. You don't need me, you need my notebook," Bess snapped at Dumbledore.

"I need you! You're not even thinking about me!" Sirius cried.

Bess turned away from Dumbledore and Moody to plead her case with her boyfriend instead. "Yes I am! You know me! Do you really think I'd be able to survive mentally if I wasn't even allowed out for a walk? Fresh air? Not even five minutes to say hello to a neighbour or pop out to get milk or something?"

"We'll make it work," Sirius said.

"You wouldn't be allowed to visit," she said, still staring at him with a confused and upset expression on her face.

"Then I'll stay in with you! We'll be in it together! We'll turn the common room into our place for the summer. I'll make it fun! I- I don't know... But I'd do it if it meant protecting you!"

Bess stared and her eyes unfocussed. She knew now that they were shining golden, but she didn't care. They'd all seen it happen before but hadn't mentioned it to her - though she now realised that Remus had tried to question it before.

Tears filled her eyes as she remembered Sirius' drinking, his not changing his clothes or washing, his depression, his despair at being locked in his mother's house. Her mouth dropped open in sadness as she took in a shuddering breath and thought of his happiness at having guests for Christmas and having a purpose for once - taking over so that Molly could focus on Arthur and his wellbeing.

As her mind filtered through Sirius' mentions in The Order of the Phoenix she wondered how she'd not remembered any of it until now. But somehow she hadn't. Somehow she'd only really remembered the main conversations he'd had with Harry - their chat about his family tree, or certain quotes he'd said in the books. She'd remembered about Azkaban and the Whomping Willow, but not this.

It was made worse by the fact that Sirius had now told her about his family, his unhappiness, and the trauma he'd suffered there.

Barely able to see, her eyes flickered to Dumbledore. He'd locked away someone who she loved more than anything in the world. In an effort to 'keep Sirius safe' Dumbledore had confined him to a place of intense childhood trauma. And in the end confined him until his death.

"No," she said, turning back to Sirius. "I won't let this happen to you again. I can't. I refuse. No," she whispered. Sirius frowned in confusion and Bess turned back to Moody and Dumbledore. "I refuse. I refuse your offer of help. I refuse your offer of protection. I refuse it all if it means that I or Sirius are confined. Figure out something else."

Dumbledore sighed. "There are no other options, I'm afraid."

"Yes there are. Greyback, we can trace, right? You've got loads of intel about him I'm sure?" she asked, her tears falling down her face, her eyes wide.

Dumbledore and Moody nodded. Both looked uncomfortable.

"And if you can make a house unplottable, can you make a person untraceable?"

"Yes, but only to certain individuals. It wouldn't be possible to-" Dumbledore answered.

"I don't need to be untraceable to everyone. Just to Delbert. Could you do that?" she asked, her eyes not leaving his.

Dumbledore nodded. "Theoretically-"

"No. No theories, no supposes, no guessing. Can you do it?"

"Yes."

"And the flat," she said, turning to Sirius, "is it unplottable?"

"No," he whispered as he blinked rapidly - his tell-tale sign of trying not to cry.

"Right. Then..." Bess trailed off as she tried to think of what Peter had broken - fid- fido- no, fide- "fuck, uh... is there a charm for concealing a house or something?"

"The Fidelius Charm would work, but it's incredibly-" Moody answered gruffly.

"That's it! Perfect. We can put that charm on the flat."

Dumbledore spoke again, "The spell would not protect you from Voldemort himself, or from his Death Eaters. If you leave the flat you'll be-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Bess screamed. "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK. YOU WILL NOT DO THIS TO ME. THE FIDELIUS CHARM? FINE. UNTRACEABILITY? FINE. BUT YOU WILL NOT TAKE AWAY MY FREEDOM!"

"Bess!" James called.

"NO! I HAVE HAD SOMEONE DICTATE EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE BEFORE, AND I REFUSE TO LET YOU DO THIS TO ME," she screamed at Dumbledore, before her voice dropped to a chilling whisper, "and if you try, I will find a way out, I will leave my notebook, and you will never hear from me again."

"Have you stopped to consider that this future will come true because you refuse to allow us to protect you?" Dumbledore asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Have you stopped to think about what your reaction would be if I locked you up?" she spat angrily.

"You'd have Sirius. Is he not enough for you?" Dumbledore asked, tilting his head.

Bess saw red. She stared at the older wizard for a moment before she whispered, "How dare you?"

Just as she began to process his words properly, she had a flash of a story - Dumbledore's story. She remembered his sister, Ariana, and how how she'd refused to use magic and was confined and locked away from the world to keep everyone safe from her uncontrollable magic. That when their mother, Kendra, died, it was Albus who had had to take care of his siblings, and how much he had resented Ariana when he'd had to come back to take care of her, and how he'd ended up neglecting his duties to spent time with Gellert Grindelwald.

When her eyes focussed again she saw a slight widening of Dumbledore's eyes. This time she spoke more forcefully than before, knowing that he would understand her when she said, "how dare you say that after what you experienced after Kendra died?" Dumbledore's eyes widened even more and he opened his mouth, but Bess spoke before he could, "accept my terms."

Dumbledore's skin paled slightly. His eyebrows raised a fraction, and his jaw slackened. For a moment he was the most fearful and sad that she had ever seen him. Silence filled the room for another moment, before he regained his composure. "Alastor will perform the spell to make you untraceable to Delbert now. I will prepare the work for the Fidelius charm tomorrow. But for the charm to work you will need to choose a secret keeper."

"James," Bess said without hesitation, and Dumbledore nodded. She knew that Dumbledore didn't need to know who she was choosing, but she wanted him to know nonetheless. But this time there would be no last minute switching to Peter. Her nod to Dumbledore confirmed this.

"Wait, what'm I doing?" James asked. Clearly, he hadn't come across the spell before.

"The Fidelius charm conceals a secret within someone. It can be a location or a... I don't know, but it can be anything you want to keep hidden. Like tonight, with the slip of paper to show where you needed to go for the meeting?" Bess said, continuing when James, Remus, Sirius and Lily nodded. "So we can cast the charm over our flat and James will be our secret keeper. If you choose to give away the location willingly, then you can, but no other tactics, like torture etcetera will work."

James gulped at the mention of torture, but otherwise his look of determination didn't waver. "Yeah, I'll do it."

"Do I get any say in this?" Sirius asked, and Bess finally looked at him again. "Bess, love, I just want to keep you safe."

"I know, pup, I know. But I need my freedom. And I know you need yours."

"Have you thought about what's going to happen to him? I think the entire country knows you're together," Moody growled.

Bess took in a deep breath. She'd forgotten about Rita Skeeter's article at the start of the year.

"No they don't. Not anymore at least," Lily said, moving forwards and withdrawing a paper from her bag. "I was going to give you this tonight. I didn't think you would have read the paper today and I thought you'd find it funny," she added as she handed the paper to Bess. Bess, who had missed the paper since she'd not woken up until midday - she'd had a long night worrying about the meeting, and then she'd missed breakfast as she'd finally fallen asleep at seven. No one had come looking for her because it was a Saturday and the term holidays, which meant that no one was awake until eleven anyway.

It was open on the gossip pages. Bess' eyes found the offending article immediately.

The Girl-Who-Cries

Dearest readers, it is my immense pleasure to bring you another tantalising instalment of the saga which is Miss Daphne Coulson's dating life!

It appears that the young beauty has been left broken-hearted, and just in time for a chocolate fuelled Easter break!

My sources tell me that just a few weeks ago she was admitted to hospital under 'suspicious circumstances' and that during her stay, Mr Black ended their year-long relationship. ("Well that's a load of bollocks," Bess whispered as she continued to read.)

Perhaps Miss Coulson entertained one too many gentleman callers in the Hospital Wing?

Though, dear reader, please don't feel too sorry for the young girl. Daphne doesn't seem to be letting their break up get in her way, having spent the past two weeks fielding a number of offers from the male population of Hogwarts.

Need I remind you that I reported last month on Daphne's unsightly scars, and theorised that these would be off-putting enough to end her relationship? Well, my dears, it seems that her scars have only added to the attraction for the boys!

"She's really nice and she's beautiful. If she needs a shoulder to cry on, I'm here," said one source, who asked to remain nameless.

Another, who again asked to remain anonymous, said, "I think we're all wondering if she has any more scars..."

Bess stopped reading as her previous upset and anger was taken over by incredulity and disgust. "What the hell? This is crazy! Why I haven't seen any of this...?"

"We've been editing all the newspapers when you read them. We were doing it for the others too until a few weeks ago," she added, obviously referring to Grace, Scott, Bartie, Merritt and Lucy, "because she's not stopped talking about you since January, and we thought you might not want to hear it. A lot of it was about Amarella which would have been hard for you all, and now it's all about guys coming to steal you away from Sirius so now we've just been editing it for you instead," Lily informed her.

"Christ."

"Yeah. It's really not good, but at least you could try and use this to prove you two are over?" Lily asked.

"No... I think everyone knows we're back together, don't they?" Bess asked, thinking about the amount of time they'd spent in Sirius' bed over few days before break began.

"Well!" Remus said quietly, still shaken by the Greyback revelation, "maybe no. I- I- I think everyone thinks you're just having more arguments... Uh, Michaels asked if you were single again on Friday so," he said, finishing with a half-hearted shrug, his gaze never leaving the floor.

"He did what?" Sirius bellowed, and the look on his face diffused all of the remaining tension. Even Remus looked up at him.

Lily and Bess broke first, letting out little giggles, and before long, all four of Sirius' friends were laughing while he looked ready to punch someone who wasn't here. Bess wiped away her tears and sent him a smile as she wondered if he'd still be angry with the boy by the time they got back to Hogwarts.

"That might be the best cover story then?" Lily asked Bess, who nodded.

"Yeah. I think so. If we can work it that we've decided to remain friends then we can hang out?" Bess asked.

Sirius shook his head and walked around the group to wrap his arms around Bess. "I don't like this. I want to be with you."

"I know. But this is just pretending so that we can be together later. I'd rather sneak around for a couple of months and keep you safe and free," Bess reasoned.

"What if I can't tell where you are? That'd inhibit the sneaking around, wouldn't it?" Sirius asked seriously.

"Well I'm sure that if you just swore you were up to no good, Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs could help you with that one," Bess whispered so that only their group could hear.

"Do you know everything?" James asked, as the boys all stared at her, and Lily raised an eyebrow.

Bess shook her head, and whispered, "No, but when he's on the run from Voldemort, Harry uses the map to spy on his girlfriend to make sure she's safe in the castle. Like father like son I'd say..."

She barely registered Remus', "You mean like Godfather," before Sirius blushed slightly and buried his face in her hair.

"You're exceedingly stubborn, you know that?" Moody asked, as he stepped forwards, wand raised, to begin the spells to stop Delbert tracking Bess.

"Bess, I really think you should-" Sirius tried, but he was silenced with a look from Bess. "Fine. But you have to promise you'll be safe... Just promise you'll listen to us about your safety."

"I'll listen, but I won't promise I'll do it," she replied truthfully, and Sirius sighed deeply, suddenly looking exhausted. "When was the last time you slept?" she asked quietly.

"I don't... I don't know. I uh- I've just been working on the bike and getting the flat ready. When I sleep I-" he stopped, as if remembering where he was, and who he was with, and coughed as he shook his head. "I'm fine," he said, a smile coming over his face, and he sent her a look which said, "we'll talk about this later."

"Bess, come over here, unless you want your boyfriend to get melded to you," Moody growled.

Bess shot a look to Sirius which said, 'we could,' but he shook his head, and so she reluctantly left his embrace, her blood pressure returning to a normal level as she took in deep, calming breaths.

As Moody began the incantations, she asked Dumbledore, "Could you tell them about the vision, please? I haven't told Sirius properly, and I don't think I'll ever feel okay enough to relive it," she said, dropping her gaze to the floor as she wrung her hands together. "Also... uh- I'm sorry for bringing up Kendra..."

"Don't be. I understood your point. Now... where should I begin?" Dumbledore asked no one in particular as his gaze flittered around the room. "Ah, yes. During a full moon this summer, Bess will-"

Bess tuned out Dumbledore as he described what would happen to her. It was only when Moody walked away from her, and Sirius' arms wrapped around her again that she realised that there were tears streaming down her face.

"We'll find something. We'll find a way to save you," he muttered. "Even if I have to trace you all the- wait. Moony!" Sirius asked, snapping his head round to face Remus. "Can you track someone outside the castle?" Sirius' head dropped as Remus shook his head. "I'll think of something," he whispered against Bess' forehead, "I'm not losing you."

"I love you," Bess whispered.

"I love you," Sirius replied.

They stood like that for a little while until Moody broke them apart and shoved large glasses filled with reddish liquid into their hands. "You'll all stay here tonight. Rooms are upstairs. It's too late to return to the castle and you all need a drink I'd say. Bottoms up."

"Honestly, what's with all the alcohol?" Bess asked as Sirius tipped his back and gulped the liquid down.

He grimaced and coughed slightly as Bess drained her glass of sherry and then he replied, "It's good for shock I think."

"Poor Remus must be plastered..." Bess said with a small laugh before the smile wiped from her face. "Oh god. Remus," she whispered, and ran over to the sandy-haired boy who was sitting with his head down, his glass in his hands.

He let out a sob as he said, "I'm so sorry, Bess. I'm sorry that-"

"Hey. This isn't your fault," she said firmly, trying to get him to look at her.

"But you'll either die or you'll become like me," he replied in a whisper.

"What, I'll get back into my cardigan phase? Start wearing courdroy? Get floppy-"

"Alright," Remus said with a small laugh, "alright. But seriously, Bess. If you're infected... it's... it's not just the transformations. I won't be able to get a job after I leave Hogwarts. Not a good one, anyway. You'd be in a similar position."

"Remus, I have money," she said. She'd thought at first that tuition at Hogwarts cost money, and so had thought that her vault would be bare by the time she left Hogwarts, but had been pleasantly surprised when Sirius had informed her that magical education was free - it meant she was pretty well off for the time being, since she wouldn't be paying Sirius rent. "I'm mixed race, and a woman in the nineteen-seventies. In the Muggle world right now I don't think I'd have much luck getting a high powered job with my non-Muggle qualifications. In the Wizarding world I'm a branded Mudblood. Again, don't think my options are too open right now. Maybe when Voldemort's defeated, but... look, what I'm trying to say is that I know that I won't be getting a good job when we leave Hogwarts. I think the lycanthropy would just be a massive addition to an already loaded pile. But I'd deal with it."

"It's a life sentence," Remus whispered.

"Well if I get infected, we can start our own little pack?" she asked. She knew she shouldn't be joking about it all, but she needed to try and help Remus smile.

It worked. He sent her the smallest of smiles and nodded, reaching out a hand to hold hers.

"Reckon Moony's trying to steal your girl," James said loudly, and Bess looked up to see Sirius playfully narrowing his eyes and Lily wrapped around James, who was looking extremely chuffed.

Remus chuckled lightly before he downed his drink and sat back, releasing Bess' hand. "I thought I was done with that monster."

"I'm so sorry," Bess whispered, turning to face him.

"Why're you sorry? You're the one who's going to die or be turned," he said, as they watched Dumbledore and Moody leave the room. "Sorry. I'm just... I'm just glad it wasn't me who attacked you," he said quietly.

"Oh Remus," Bess said, reaching out for his hand again, "I love you, you know that, right? And I trust you so much."

"You do?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers.

"Of course..." Bess whispered. She took in a deep breath and looked down at their hands - both of hers wrapped around his. She looked at the floor and thought for a moment. She felt Sirius' hand on her shoulder and moved one of her hands to cover his as she looked up at Lily and James.

"I think it's time that I gave you all access to my notebook. Not to read it now... just... just to give you the password."

"Are you sure?" Lily asked.

Bess nodded. "But you have to promise that you'll only look in it if I don't make it back. It's got a lot of information in there about what could happen. It might get a bit confusing if you read it now. I just need to add in bits to say what might not happen anymore."

"How'll we have access to it, love? You've always got it on you..." Sirius asked quietly, squeezing her shoulder. "I don't want to tempt fate by you leaving it one day and then..." he trailed off and gulped.

Bess frowned. "This summer... for the whole summer... I'll leave it in the flat. Just for the summer. But you really do have to promise me that you won't read it until I'm gone, and you won't tell anyone what it is, what the password is, or where it is, not even Peter."

James frowned. "Why can't we tell Peter?"

"Because, just telling you is putting you in the firing line. You could be tortured, or worse. James, you're already going to be our secret keeper, and that's putting you at a massive risk. Do you really think Peter could be confronted with Death Eaters, or Voldemort, and refuse to give up information? Especially when he's still living at home? What would happen to his mum if they attacked?"

"He'd never betray us!" James cried.

"But I'm not you, am I? Peter doesn't know me well, and that's on me and him. We're trying to get to know one another more, and one day, yes, I will tell him, but right now he has no reason to trust me," she reasoned. No one seemed too convinced. "Please? I will tell him one day, I promise," she said. "And the only reason why I'm okay with you all knowing is because I had that vision of you in the kitchen. You'll all be together in nineteen-eighty-one. So whatever happens, you'll definitely keep the secret."

Her words were met with a thoughtful silence.

"She's not wrong... I'm used to pain... and I know we'd all die to protect each other," Remus said quietly, "Peter's worst fear is Voldemort. I don't think he'd ever give us, or Bess, up but if we told him all of this in the next two months we'd be stealing any semblance of happiness from him. He's not even seventeen yet. He deserves a little happiness."

"We're barely of age," James added, pulling Lily even closer to him. "And we know."

"I know. That's on me. I'm truly sorry for that," Bess whispered. They all sat in silence for a minute before Bess broke all of the tension in the room as she asked, "Lily, would you actually die for me, or would you give it all up if they offered you a sausage roll?"

Lily laughed through her tears, which she wiped away as she replied, "Nah. I'd do it for a pile of Honeyduke's finest though..."

Sirius barked out a laugh as he sat down on the sofa, pulled Bess onto his lap, and said, "Right, Prongs, there's your in. Next Hogsmeade visit, take Lily to Honeydukes." He tugged at the lapel of Bess' jacket and slipped it down her arm. Bess smiled and removed it as Sirius placed a long open mouthed kiss to her shoulder and began nuzzling her neck.

James chuckled. "Nah, Lily doesn't like people waving their money around. How about," he said, looking down at the redhead. Bess could tell he was joking as he said, "Lily, would you go to Hogsmeade with me? I'll let you buy all the sweets you can afford and refuse to buy you any more, even if you beg and say that I have too much money and should share my wealth."

"About time," Lily replied, and kissed him on the cheek. "Yes. I'd love to."

James blushed and grinned as Lily giggled and Sirius, Remus and Bess all laughed.

xXx

A/N: Next chapter we'll be staying at the headquarters, as Moody said they'll all be staying there overnight. Which means more Order member airtime potentially!

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