O

DEIMOS

Dread

December

The argument with her parents was not spoken of again. Hope knew they currently had far greater worries than a night of broken rules. She wished she could take back the fiery words thrown out in anger and frustration, but there was nothing she could do about that now. Her apology had been accepted, the argument closed and Hope did her best to ignore her continuing pricklings of guilt.

"What's happening with your work?" she asked Teddy, the following day, when everything had calmed down. Their parents were both downstairs and Hope had sought her brother out in his room for a proper catch up. He did not mince words.

"St Mungo's know," he said, casting aside the book he had been reading, as she perched on his desk chair. "They know what I did. Or at least, they know I was involved in some way that goes against the hospital's code of conduct. I've been asked to suspend all research while they investigate further."

For all Hope had been expecting this, it was still a weight to the stomach.

"There'll be a hearing," Teddy continued sadly. "Not at the ministry or anything. It'll be dealt with internally, within St Mungo's. But I could easily be dismissed for good."

"But you saved Mum's life," Hope hissed. "You saved her. How can they fire you for saving someone's life at a hospital?"

Teddy spread his hands in resigned fashion.

"I don't regret what I did, Dopey, and I never will. But they have reason to do this. Phennah was right, I'm not a healer. Imagine how it would be if everyone went around doing what they liked and overruling the healers when visiting their loved ones in hospital, just because they believed they had the knowledge and ability."

Teddy wasn't anyone, Hope thought furiously to herself. Teddy was Teddy and he had done the right thing and their mother was alive and well because of it.

"Was it Phennah who reported you?"

"I think so. But,' he admonished, as Hope made an angry noise in the back of her throat, "I can't blame her for that, not really. If it got out that she'd been aware of what happened and not reported it, then her job would be on the line as well."

Hope did not share Teddy's lack of ill feeling towards the healer at all, but she said nothing more about her.

"What about Hestia?" she asked. "Is she in trouble too? For giving you the cure in the first place?"

Teddy shook his head. "Kingsley is taking full responsibility for that, so he'll be able to excuse her having it in her possession, even excuse me having it."

"Even though it should have been locked away?"

"Well, it is a bit delicate," Teddy grimaced. "But the risk he took back in the summer means that wizards and muggles across the world are already being cured and vaccinated, and he will be able to fight his corner on that. It's what I did with it that's the problem. Give it to a patient with no authorisation when I'm not even licensed to treat patients in the first place."

"But can't Kingsley say something?" Hope protested. "Can't he fight your corner? The risk you took means that Mum is better, and he's friends with her. And Dad. He loves them, even-" she thought of the Minister's face just over a year ago, full of joy and fondness for her parents as he watched them renew their vows. "Surely he can't expect you to let her die?"

Teddy lay back with his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

"You know our friendship with the Minister can't get me out of something like this," he said. "I'm sure he's incredibly relieved that Mum's OK, but the respect everyone has for Kingsley comes in part from the fact that he always does what's fair and just, with no personal bias. I'm being treated as anyone else would be in my situation, and they're right to do so. I just have to hope that the arguments work in my favour at the hearing."

"When will it be?"

"Not until February, probably, maybe even March, what with everything else going on."

"That's ages not to be working though... even if you get off in the end."

Hope tried not to think of the consequences. Two or three months added to the already long delay in Teddy's research.

"I'm sure it'll fly by," Teddy said, sitting up again and smiling reassuringly at her. "I'm not going to mope around doing nothing, believe me. I'll be doing whatever study I can while I'm at home. The more research I've done, the more I can prove I'm on the right track with finding a permanent Lycanthropy cure, and the stronger the case I'll have against dismissal."

Hope tried, without total success, to adopt Teddy's positive outlook.

"Does anyone else know what happened?"

"No," Teddy said. "Apart from those who were in the room with us, and those investigating within the hospital, the only ones who know are Kingsley and Ginny. And I've told Vic. I couldn't keep something like this from her. But the rest of the family will think I'm doing a period of study from home, while St Mungo's laboratories are being used for reproducing mass batches of the cure to be shipped off to muggle hospitals. It's not technically a lie," he hastened to add, gazing at her imploringly.

"Of course it's not a lie," she assured him, knowing that Teddy could not bear to be anything other than straight and honest. "And you don't have a choice. It's not like you can tell everyone what happened. What good would that do?"

"Exactly. If this gets out, St Mungo's may have no choice but to dismiss me, to avoid setting a precedent. I don't like being part of of a cover up-" His face twisted with guilt again "-but I don't think losing me or my research will help anyone, so it's better that it stays secret for now."

"Well, you know my lips are sealed," Hope said. "Who does your trial? Is it lots of people?"

Teddy laughed ruefully. "Trial sounds pretty ominous, Dope. It's only a hearing. It's normally three people. Old Henson, who's Head of the Disciplinary Panel, and then a couple of randomly selected members of the board as well. They are mostly a decent group. I just have to hope I get a few sympathetic ears and that my research can back me up."

Hope nodded, picking at a splinter of wood on Teddy's desktop.

"Don't worry," Teddy said. Easier said than done. "You have a lot on yourself this year, especially with your exams coming up. How's revision going?"

Hope had barely given a second thought to her OWLs, and she couldn't bear to think of them right now either.

"Fine," she replied at once, avoiding his gaze. "But boring. I don't want to talk about school, I want to know proper gossip that the teachers never tell us. Is there any news on what The Crow is up to?"

"No, actually," Teddy said, after a moment's hesitation. "Not at all. It seems he's still lying low."

"How come?"

Teddy looked at her thoughtfully. "Dad said Harry told you what Mum did when she came face to face with him? Pretended to hit him with a tracking device?"

Hope nodded.

"It appears to have worked better than anyone could have imagined," Teddy said. "Nothing came of that awful magical dampening spell in the end, and that can't have been his intention. Phennah said herself how long that would have taken to create, and we're pretty sure he had big plans for it. But there haven't been any signs of other wizards falling ill like Mum did, not in this country, nor abroad, and it's too late now. He messed it up. He only had a small window, and now the verified cures are being rolled out, he's missed his chance to have a hold over magical leaders."

"But surely he's planning something else?"

She was certain that she detected another shifty look in Teddy's eyes, but his reply gave nothing away.

"It's difficult to tell," he shrugged. "Possibly, but the more time that goes by without him acting, and the more muggles get given the cure, the less chance he has of success, regardless of what he's up to."

"And they don't have any leads on who he is or how to catch him?"

"No, but again, it's only a matter of time. No one evades capture forever when this many people are on the case."

The situation still looked bleak to Hope.

"Let's look at the positives," Teddy said. "Cure's being rolled out. Mum's better. You're back .for Christmas. First family Christmas we've had for ages, with all of us at home, and it will be lovely."

"If I hadn't ruined it yesterday."

The words slipped out on their own. Teddy's forehead knotted slightly as Hope dropped her eyes to the floor again.

"You're not worrying about that, are you? Mum and Dad are over it. They can't exactly go on about you breaking the rules now and then! They weren't model pupils at school themselves, as you know."

Which was precisely the point. Teddy clearly didn't know the full extent of the argument.

"Hope?"

Shamefaced, Hope told Teddy what she had said.

"...and I feel really bad and I said sorry, but..."

"Dad will know you didn't mean it," Teddy interjected softly. "It's all in the past now, especially as you apologised. You don't need to worry about that."

Again, easier said than done.

O

"So, are you forgiven?" Roxanne asked, just over a week later. Hope, after ten days of model behaviour while grounded at home, had been allowed to go round to George and Angelina's house early to help with the party preparations. She, Dom and Roxanne, having set up a variety of interesting games that would definitely not involve hide and seek this time around, were now up in Roxanne's bedroom getting ready.

"I think so," Hope replied, as she sat by the mirror experimenting with different hair styles. "It's been great, actually, being together as a family all Christmas. We've never had a Christmas like that, because Mum's always had shifts. So maybe getting grounded wasn't such a bad thing. We played games and went for walks and stuff. Very tame, but I think it was what we needed."

"Sounds calmer than ours," Dom said, rolling her eyes. "Victoire's been flying off the handle about everything. Angry at this, stropping about that. We've all been walking on eggshells the whole holiday. Then yesterday she got her new healing placement for January and now she's upset about that too."

"Why?"

"How should I know?" Dom huffed. "She's on the Incurable Affliction Ward and she wasn't supposed to be on that rotation for another six months - something like that. I don't know how the junior healer training programme works, but she seems to think she's been given a raw deal."

"It must be a tough ward," Roxanne reasoned. "Treating patients when you know there is nothing you can do to cure them."

"Yeah, but there's no excuse for taking it out on the rest of us," Dom shot back. "She's been in a foul mood recently, anyway - I think she's pissed off she won't be able to see as much of Teddy until he can go back into the lab. But I mean, come on, she can go to work without him for a bit! They spend enough time together as it is."

Hope knew an instant sense of disquiet. She didn't like keeping things from Dom and Roxanne, but Teddy was right. The more people who knew about his work situation, the more likely it was to reach the wrong ears, which would in turn hurt his chances at the hearing.

"Hopefully life will be more normal soon," she said, steering the conversation to the safer territory of vague talk about the curse. "And I'm so glad we're able to go to school by train next week. I hate going by floo. I feel like I need the seven hour journey to prepare, you know."

At this, Dom shot a fleeting, almost guilty look towards Roxanne. "We're actually going to go back on Thursday. A few days early."

"How come?"

"To make the most of the library being quiet," Roxanne said, finishing one of her elaborate black curls. She sounded far less enthused. "Now that we can apparate we might as well make the most of it."

Hope experienced that sinking sensation in her chest again, but wiped it away sternly. She could manage a train ride without her friends, for heaven's sake. She was going to have to once they left school.

"Fair enough." She turned back to the mirror, and settled on long straight hair streaked with blue and silver.

"You could come up early with us," Dom offered, after a small silence. "We can do side along. We're allowed now we've had our permits more than six months."

Hope snorted and turned back round, forcing an amused grin.

"Come back to school early to use the library?"

Dom bit her lip.

"You're going to have to do some proper studying at some point. OWLs are tough at the best of times, let alone when you're not properly prepared."

She's right, you know.

"I'm fine. And so's my work. Thanks for the offer though."

Dom and Roxanne exchanged a look, but consented to let the matter drop.

oOo

January

The journey up to school wasn't so bad in the end. Hope found a compartment with Rosie and Niamh, who was travelling up from London this year. Both younger girls immersed themselves in their books, earnestly discussing the pros and cons of some experimental charm, while Hope flicked idly through her quidditch card collection. She had no doubt that a lot of people would think her too old for quidditch cards, but she wasn't prepared to give them up. Quidditch remained the only thing she was good at and passionate about, and proof of all these famous players gave her a sense of determination. Maybe... one day... it would be her on one of those cards.

Michael put his head in to their compartment mid afternoon and the three girls greeted him cheerfully.

"Good Christmas?" Hope asked, as Rose and Niamh resumed their earnest discussion and Michael sat down opposite her for a proper chat.

"Not bad thanks. The pub is back up and running, and it's busier than ever, which is great. Dad was a bit fed up though. We normally visit his parents at Christmas, and we couldn't this year, not with all the added security in St Mungo's."

"How - how are they?" Hope asked tentatively. She knew all about Michael's grandparents.

"Same as usual," he sighed. "I mean, they've no idea about the chaos going on in the world, which is a blessing. But they don't know about anything else either, obviously."

"I'm sorry."

Michael shrugged.

"I never knew them as they were before," he said, pragmatic as ever. "And Dad didn't either, really. He was too young when - when they were attacked. It's harder for Great Gran, but she's used to it, and they don't suffer at all, the healers are certain of that. What happened to them originally is horrific, of course." His jaw clenched and he shuddered. "But as to the long term consequences, there are those who are worse off, in St Mungo's."

"I suppose..."

"Oh there are," Michael assured her, noticing her doubtful expression. "Someone on Gran and Grandad's ward has to take continuous blood clotting potions because of a curse they were hit by twenty years ago. The healers have no other way to treat it, and if they weren't in St Mungo's they'd die within a day. Then there are old incurable wizarding diseases that are awful. Necrophylemia, for example. Grenville Maskers Disease. Or Gorsemoor's Syndrome."

"Wait, I've heard of that," Hope said. "Gorsemoor's Syndrome. Only the other day, weirdly. Teddy and Vic were talking about it. It sounds... horrendous. It causes fits and delirium and paralysis, doesn't it? Patients completely lose their mind in the end?

"It's actually a spasmodic cerebral disorder," Rose chipped in from the corner, before Michael could reply. "Causing erratic symptoms that are completely unpredictable and worsen over time, eventually resulting in sporadic quadriplegia and total loss of self and awareness."

"Isn't that basically what I said, in normal person speech?" Hope said to Michael in an undertone, rolling her eyes. He chuckled, but then looked more serious.

"In America they call it Dementor's Syndrome," he said. "Because when the symptoms have progressed into the final stages, the sufferer might as well be a victim of the Dementor's Kiss. No sense of self, no nothing. But, unlike a dementor's victim, there is always a chance that a cure might be found eventually, and euthanasia is prohibited by worldwide wizarding law, so the patients are kept alive, under careful observation, in a slow but continuous state of decline."

Hope shuddered too. "I think I'd end it myself before it came to that."

"Sorry," she added, realising that speaking callously of taking your own life may be viewed as insensitive. "I only meant-"

"Oh I get it, believe me," Michael said. "And I think it would happen a lot, but Gorsemoor's is a near impossible thing to accurately diagnose until the sufferer is already in the final stages. It's rare, thankfully, but once you've got it..."

He trailed off.

"So are there patients on your grandparents ward with it?"

"Not on their ward. They're in Permanent Spell Damage. But I think there are a couple on the Incurable Afflication Ward. It's a tough place to work, especially when you're treating illnesses like that."

That was Victoire's new ward, Hope remembered, with a pang of sympathy for her. Victoire was made of stern stuff, whatever Dom might think, but starting healing placements in the midst of a global medical crisis couldn't have been easy, and to be on a ward as intense as the Incurable Afflication Ward...

"I couldn't be a healer," she muttered. "I have so much respect for them at the moment. I mean-"

She lost her train of thought as Adam walked past their compartment and, catching her eye, flashed her a broad smile, which Hope returned, her heart thudding. In spite of the fall out from the Underworld party, she had not forgotten the fun of dancing with Adam, nor his words. "I like someone." And that someone was her.

"Err - sorry." Hope turned back to Michael. "I - um - forgot what I was saying."

He did not seem offended, merely amused.

"Want to play a card game?" he asked, throwing a meaningful look at the two girls in the corner. Rose, having given her two knut's worth to their own conversation, had turned back to Niamh to continue their debate, oblivious to everyone else.

"They're quidditch cards, not regular cards." For some reason she couldn't explain, Hope felt both embarrassed and defiant, but Michael did not appear perturbed.

"Great, I've been looking for someone to swap cards with for ages!" He dug in his jacket and pulled out a large wedge of blue backed cards from an inside pocket, and Hope's eyes lit up.

Not for the first time, she felt a deep pang of regret that she didn't see more of Michael. They only had herbology with the Gryffindors this year, as potions was now shared with the Hufflepuffs, and Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins. Hope was still struggling to maintain meaningful relationships with anyone else in her own house, and now that Dom was on the brink of leaving, her already lukewarm enthusiasm for being in Ravenclaw was diminishing by the day.

Quidditch was the one thing retaining her house pride, as Ravenclaw were in the running to win the cup for the fourth year in a row, and she was still harbouring a secret hope that she would be captain next year. It might not be much, but it would be something. Hope came across Ginny in her card collection while hunting for a suitable swap for Michael's limited edition Florence Melling, first female captain of the Wimborne wasps, and one of Hope's favourite players of all time. Ginny beamed back at her before streaming off to the goalposts on the background of the card and throwing the quaffle effortlessly past the nameless keeper.

It could be her. One day. Maybe.

O

Hope had definitely not intended to be late to her first defence class of the year. As much as she disliked Edgy Edgecombe, avoiding detention was always to be advised in the first week of January. Yet somehow nothing that morning had gone as planned, and here she was hurrying along the corridor several minutes after the bell.

As predicted, Edgecombe met her at the door of the classroom, her mouth in a thin line.

"What time do you call this?"

"I'm sorry professor. I forgot something and had to go back."

"It's not good enough Lupin. You aren't the only person affected by your lateness, you know. You would do well to remember that."

"Everyone's still getting out their books!" Hope protested indignantly. "The class hasn't even started yet."

As usual, talking back got her nowhere.

"Detention tomorrow night. Go and sit down now if you don't want to make it two."

Cadmus Flint entered the classroom two minutes later. Edgecombe glared at him too but made no comment as he sloped towards the only available seat in the room - which was next to Hope herself - and Hope, in turn, shot daggers at her professor for her lack of consistency.

"Right, now we are finally here, let's get started," Edgecombe said. "Miss Dubalski, further to our lesson before the holidays, please could you give me an example of an issue that currently surrounds policing of the Imperious curse?"

"It is now possible to confirm for certain whether someone has been under the influence of the Imperious curse," Natalie said promptly. "Experts in curse study can even determine a timeframe in which it was cast. But no one has yet found a way to detect who the perpetrator is or what the victim was ordered to do. This has led to cases of Imperium Fraud, where people claim that they were under the Imperius curse to avoid punishment or imprisonment, and although there is proof that they were cursed, there is no way of knowing if it was intentional, as part of the crime."

"Precisely," Edgecombe said. "Well put. Now-"

"This is so boring," Cadmus muttered to Hope as Edgecombe continued to elaborate on Natalie's points.

"I thought you wanted to learn about curses," Hope said, inking some flowers on her own homework and yawning widely. She was pretty bored herself, but such was the case in all her lessons at the moment. Her motivation for studying had sunk to an all time low.

"Not the way this old crone teaches them," he retorted, and Hope grinned. She had never had much interaction with Cadmus before this year, but they often sat together in this class now, and she couldn't help but be amused by his blunt manner and occasional dry, dark humour.

"Old crone is right!" she agreed, pulling out the book they were supposed to be taking notes from, and flicking half-heartedly through it to find the right page.

"What's that?" Cadmus enquired, reaching for a scrap of newspaper that had dislodged itself from the haphazard pile of papers on the edge of the desk.

"Usual Quibbler bullshit."

Cadmus's mouth twitched as he read the headline.

"Grindelwald's spirit reincarnated - Is The Crow nothing more than an old enemy up to new tricks?"

He snorted and looked up at her. "You actually read this crap?"

"I do know it's rubbish," Hope said defensively. "But you have to admit it's entertaining. And anyway, that article might not be a million miles off... I know Grindelwald's long dead, but maybe The Crow is an old dark wizard under a new disguise." She had been debating this very subject with Roxanne lately, and both had been eagerly speculating on who it could be.

"Can't be," Cadmus said. "The MoMS keeps strict tabs on anyone with a criminal record, even minor stuff. They'd have picked up on it by now if it was a known dark wizard."

"You reckon?"

"Trust me." His tone was suddenly acrid. "I'm sure of it."

Hope did not question him further. She knew, through Roxanne, that Cadmus and Morella's father had spent time in Azkaban more than once in his life, and no doubt it was a sensitive topic.

"I think," Cadmus continued in a conspiratorial whisper, before Hope had a chance to work out how to navigate the awkward moment. "That The Crow is actually lots of people. It has to be. A group, or a gang, or something. All masquerading as the same person. I mean, no one's seen him in the flesh, have they?"

Hope, of course, knew this wasn't true, but Kingsley had mercifully managed to keep her mother's brush with The Crow away from the ears of the general public. Since Teddy's dismissal, this had proved to be a blessing in more ways than one.

"Hmm, I guess that does kind of makes sense," she said. "It would explain how he's been able to cause havoc in so many different countries, and how no one can keep tabs on him."

"Yup. Harder to keep tabs on one person if that person is actually ten."

"Maybe." Hope mulled over this. "But then, wouldn't it also make it more difficult to-"

"Can you two stop whispering and listen," Edgecombe broke in sharply. Neither of them had heard her approaching, lost in their speculation. "Is there something you'd like to share with the whole class, Miss Lupin?"

O

"It's so fucking unfair," Hope exploded to her friends later that day. "Cadmus was later than me and she didn't say a word to him. And he was talking more. So why did she pick on me?"

"Hope, we've been through this," Dom said gently. "All teachers have favourites, she's a strange woman in general and you don't like her either, so you always notice when she pulls you up for something. It's probably not just you, and even then, sometimes there isn't a reason for people being inconsistent. It's just the way they are."

"She is consistent," Hope grumbled. "She consistently hates me."

"Hate is a very strong word and I don't think she does."

Dom sounded a touch irritable, which Hope was fairly sure was down to stress over revision, but she took the hint and turned to Roxanne instead.

"Ah well, you've never been the most likeable of students, have you?" Roxanne said, yawning. "From the teachers' point of view."

Hope stopped short, an odd sensation creeping down her shoulders and back as Roxanne's words hit home.

"I mean that in a good way," Roxanne said, noticing her expression. "Like, I mean you aren't a teacher's pet, and you don't suck up to them, and you do your own thing. You're cool, you know?"

But not likeable.

It was true. She must have had proof a hundred times in her life that she wasn't likeable. So why did the words hurt so much?

"Hope?" Roxanne was looking anxious now. "That's all I meant. You know that, right? Please don't be offended. Teachers don't like me either, but who cares? Who wants to be liked by the teachers?"

Everyone liked Teddy.

"Not me," Hope asserted, brushing her inner feelings aside as usual. "But it's still unfair. Why didn't Edgecombe say anything to Cadmus? I wouldn't describe him as likeable either."

"He is built like a tank," Dom reasoned, her snappish tone now gone from her voice. "I wouldn't want to cross him, even if I were a teacher. She probably finds him more intimidating than you."

This did not seem like a good enough reason to Hope and she continued to mutter under her breath while Dom nodded patiently and returned to her reading.

"Hey, maybe this will cheer you up." Roxanne nudged Hope in the ribs and she turned to look in the direction that her friend was indicating.

Adam was coming towards them. Alone. And smiling directly at her.

"Hi," he said, a little awkwardly, reaching them. "Err..." He glanced towards Dom and Roxanne, who took the hint at once.

"Don't mind us, we're leaving," Roxanne beamed. "Studying to do, you know!" And, with a wicked grin over her shoulder at Hope, she dragged Dom away.

"Err," Adam said again, as their footsteps died away. "Hi."

"Hello. How are you?"

"Yeah, good thanks. I was - err - wondering if-" he stared intently at a spot just above her left shoulder. "Um - do you – do you want to come into Hogsmeade with me on Saturday? First visit of the new term, you know."

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

"Sure," she kept her voice as casual as possible. "I'd really like that!"

"Cool!" Adam seemed relieved. Maybe he had thought she might say no. "Great! Um. Yeah. I'll look forward to it."

And he hurried off.

Hope could feel her grin stretching to her ears as she watched him go. Did it really matter whether she was 'likeable' or not? She was finally going on a date with Adam.

O

The week dragged by, but Saturday came at last, bringing with it overcast skies, freezing temperatures and biting winds. Dom and Roxanne took one look outside and decided that Hogsmeade wasn't worth it, opting instead for a long day of studying in the relative comfort of the library.

"But we want to hear everything when you're back," Roxanne said, hugging her. "All the details. Good, bad, ugly - we want to know it all. Got it?"

Thankfully, it seemed there would be a fair amount to say about the good. Hope and Adam were now seated at a table towards the back of The Three Broomsticks, sharing a large bowl of chips and chatting and laughing together.

Hope did have to admit that it hadn't been the most riveting of conversations. So far, they had talked about quidditch, the differences between Hogwarts and Ilvermorny, quidditch again, how crap the weather was at this time of year, quidditch yet again, and, as it seemed impossible at the moment to get through a single conversation without broaching the topic, the Narcoviral Curse and The Crow. Adam did not have much speculation on The Crow's true identity, but had seemed interested enough in Hope's own theories.

Other than a few awkward silences, Hope was enjoying herself, although she did wish the conversation wouldn't keep going back to quidditch. Flattering though it was to be complimented on her flying ability, there were only so many times she could talk through Ravenclaw's last match against Hufflepuff, and Adam, she had already learnt, knew very little about the professional and international leagues, which limited the quidditch discussion potential.

As Hope had also suspected, The Three Broomsticks was not a private place for a date, packed as it was with other Hogwarts students, and familiar faces jumped out at her every few minutes. Rosie gave her a thumbs up gesture from the table opposite. James was at the bar with Eoin, shooting them what he appeared to think were subtle stares every few minutes. Michael, from his seat at the other end of the bar with Esme Okare and Alice Johns, gave her a broad grin. Cadmus Flint also caught her eye at one point, as he walked past on his way to the bathrooms, although he looked distinctly less cheerful. Hope, trying not to remember that Roxanne had once said Cadmus fancied her, dropped her gaze in face of his rather unpleasant glower.

You've had more interesting conversations with both Michael and Cadmus recently than you're having with Adam right now.

Hope did wish the little voice in her head would shut up. The fact that it was easier chat to friends than a boy she was dating for the first time was surely part of life.

Elodie and Natalie passed by their table as well, and Elodie glared as she looked from Adam to Hope, her eyes so blatantly filled with jealously and loathing that Hope couldn't help but smirk back at her.

Adam did not miss the silent exchange.

"What was that about?" he asked, as Elodie stalked off, her friend in tow.

"Oh, we hate each other," Hope said causally. "That's all, really."

"Oh yeah. I think James mentioned you don't get on. How come?"

Where to even start?

Hope may not have been an expert, but she sensed that a first date with a boy you liked was not the time to bitch too much about your hated classmate, so she went with the biggest and most unforgivable issue when it came to her feelings towards Elodie Carmichael.

"Mainly because she says nasty things about Dom," she said. "Or she used to, before she was nearly expelled for it. And about my dad sometimes too. She's bigoted and prejudiced and I have no time for her."

Adam did not look impressed. "That's not OK," he agreed.

"No it's not," Hope said fervently. "What kind of horrible person says things about Dom, of all people? As for my dad, she's never even met him."

"Yeah, it's not cool," Adam said. But then he shrugged. "Everyone's entitled to their opinion, though, I suppose."

Hope pondered this in silence for a second or two, not altogether satisfied by what Adam had said. Being entitled to an opinion was one thing. Voicing it loudly and repeatedly in a way that was damaging to someone else's health and personal identity was surely another. Before she had time to say any of this, Adam stood up with a smile.

"Just off to the bathroom. Shall I get you another butterbeer on the way back?"

"Oh, sure. Thanks!"

Clearly he had not meant any offence by his previous comment, or even noticed that Hope was bothered by it.

Does that make it OK?

"Hey pal!"

It was James, who had now abandoned all attempt at subtlety and slipped into Adam's vacated seat as soon as his back was turned.

"Don't worry, I'll be gone before he comes back," he said, in response to Hope's suspicious stare. He smirked. "So? Good date? Going well?"

"Yes, thank you," Hope said serenely. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Of course it's my business," James retorted. "My best mate and my cousin going out."

"Not technically your cousin, though, am I?" But a warm glow had flared in her chest. While the entire Potter-Weasley clan had always taken it for granted that the Lupins were family too, it never failed to please her when they referred to her as a cousin without second thought.

"Ah you will be soon enough," James said. "Once Teddy pops the question to Vic."

"True, that can't be too far off now."

"So come on, how is it going?" James repeated. "Is Adam the date of your life? Man of your dreams? Do I hear wedding bells here too?"

"Get lost now, or you might not live to find out," Hope snapped, but she couldn't stop the grin playing on the corners of her mouth again.

"Finnnee." James stood up. But then he looked down at her more seriously. "Adam's cool, you know. Really nice, genuine guy. And you're - you know - OK and all," he grinned to show her he was joking. "I'm sure you'll be great together."

It was most unlike James to talk in that manner and, even while rolling her eyes at his retreating back, Hope felt reassured, her doubts from earlier easing. James clearly thought very highly of Adam, and hadn't she finally got what she had wanted for ages? She was bloody well going to enjoy the day from now on, instead of spending every moment analysing the quality of his conversation or the length of every tiny awkward silence. Maybe first dates were always a bit uncomfortable.

Her heart felt lighter still once they had finished their drinks and left the pub for some fresh air. They spent an enjoyable couple of hours walking round the shops, trialling sweets in Honeydukes, stocking up on merchandise from The Wheeze, ogling every product they would like to buy but could never afford in the new luxury quidditchware section of The Flyaway, and finally reaching the end of the high street and climbing the woodland path that led up the hill at the end of the village.

There was no one around, most students clearly preferring the warm interiors of the shops and bars, and Hope sat down on the old seat at the top of the hill, the freezing cold of the metal bench seeping through her cloak and jeans. Her breath came out in a cloud as she sighed deeply and took in the view of the frost covered buildings below.

Adam had sat down next to her, so close that their knees were touching, and Hope knew an instant thrill of anticipation, all thoughts of the temperature forgotten, as he took her hand and leaned towards her.

O

It turned out that even a first kiss - and a damn good one at that - wasn't enough to drown out the mid-January Scottish temperatures for long.

"Shall we head back to school?" Adam laughed, eventually. "Your lips are turning blue!"

Teeth chattering, she turned them electric blue for maximum effect and he laughed again. As he did so, Hope registered that he had not asked any personal or invasive questions about her morphing ability at all. That was definitely appreciated. Although he hadn't asked her many other questions about herself either...

You're doing it again. Stop analysing and just have fun.

Adam took her hand in his as they walked back along the path.

"I've had a really good time today."

"Me too."

"Maybe we can do this again?"

A further flare of delight erupted inside her. That surely meant the date had gone well.

"I'd like that." She smiled up at him.

They reached the main track between Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. Throngs of students, also beaten by the weather, were now traipsing back up to school. Adam unlatched the gate and stood back to let her through, and as they joined the groups of students, Hope held out her hand slightly, waiting for him to take it again. But he didn't. In fact, he seemed to be deliberately walking a couple of steps further away from her. Hope shoved her hand in her pocket at once, suddenly confused, and neither of them said another word until they were back up at the castle.

O

"So! How was it? Tell us everything!"

Both Dom and Roxanne shut their books and looked up expectantly as Hope joined them in the library.

"It was fine." Hope took off her scarf and flexed her numb hands to try and warm them up.

"Fine?" Roxanne looked incredulous. "You've been lusting after him for a year and it was just fine?"

"Ew, I wasn't lusting. Please don't say that again."

"Sorry. But seriously. Was it not good?"

Hope considered for a minute confiding in them, and telling them how some parts of the date had felt not-quite-right, how the conversation had been awkward on occasion, how kissing had been amazing and how Adam had appeared to enjoy himself, but then seemed unwilling to even walk close to her on the way back to school. Then she stopped herself. Dom and Roxanne wouldn't be around to give her advice in future. She'd need to work issues like this out for herself.

"Nah, it was great! Really cold outside. But it went well."

Dom seemed satisfied with this. Roxanne much less so.

"I told you I need details, Hope. Where did you go? Do you still like him now you've dated him? Did you kiss? Are you going to see him again?"

"Hogsmeade. Yes. Yes. I think so," Hope reeled off.

Her friend glared at her and she relented.

"Fine. We were at the Three Broomsticks for ages, chatting and having some drinks. Then we went round the shops and then up through the path at the end of the village, up to the observatory hill, you know? And yes, we kissed. But not for very long because it was freezing, so we came home."

"Is he a good kisser?"

Hope knew her coy expression gave away the answer to that and Roxanne gave an excited squeal.

"So are you going out now? Properly?"

"I don't know," Hope floundered. "Am I supposed to know that? After one date?" She thought back to Adam's distance as they walked back up to school. Maybe Adam had changed his mind and didn't want to go out with her again.

"Maybe not. Boys don't say things like that outright." Roxanne said. "But you'll be able to tell soon enough."

O

It seemed that Roxanne was right. Within two weeks, it was common knowledge throughout the school that Hope Lupin was going out with Adam Towler, an arrangement that Adam seemed very happy with, and Hope began spending time with him every day, ignoring Dom's gentle warnings that Hope should be doing more studying, that sixth years didn't have exams this year, only coursework, and that it would be easy to forget the importance of revision when she was with Adam.

Hope knew OWLs were important. Knew that revision for them was crucial to getting good grades. But actually doing the revision was something else, and seeing Adam was far less effort and far more enjoyable.

Hope remained a touch mystified by his behaviour towards her. He clearly liked having her around, regularly walking to class with her, welcoming her whenever she joined him and the other Gryffindor sixth years, and he had already made a table reservation for their next trip into Hogsmeade (which happened to be on Valentine's weekend). He also demonstrated considerable enthusiasm for the time they spent kissing in secluded corners of the castle. In public, however, he maintained a physical distance that was borderline standoffish, and appeared reluctant to even put his arm around her if other students were within view.

"He's probably not into public displays of affection," Roxanne shrugged, when Hope managed to sweep aside her pride for a few moments and ask her older friends their thoughts on the matter. "Some guys aren't and to be honest, I would consider it a blessing. Iain Logan had hands like tentacles no matter where we were. Urgh." She shuddered at the memory.

"I suppose," Hope said. "But what about when Adam was with Stella? They couldn't keep their hands off each other, remember?"

"Hmm." Roxanne, who had apparently forgotten this detail, was momentarily stumped by this.

"Maybe Stella's more forward than you," she said at last. "Or maybe he's matured. Decided it's much classier to keep public affection to a minimum. Can't say I disagree."

"Well yeah, about the kissing in public. But surely there's nothing wrong with holding my hand? Or just a hug to say hello?"

"He might think you don't want to," Roxanne suggested. "He seems to really like you, Hope, so I wouldn't worry about it, honestly."

Hope smiled vaguely. People kept telling her not to worry. But no one was telling her how.

oOo

February

Soon came another concern, and a big one. Teddy wrote to Hope one Friday morning in the middle of February.

Hey Dopey,

Can we meet up when you're in Hogsmeade tomorrow? Just for a bit, first thing? I'm sure you'll want to be with friends. Just need a quick chat.

Txxx

"Everything OK?" Dom asked, noticing her pensive expression. "Who's that from?"

"Teddy. He wants to meet me tomorrow in Hogsmeade."

"Why?"

"He - doesn't say." Hope suspected she knew what this was about, but as Dom still knew nothing of Teddy's suspension she wasn't prepared to elaborate.

"Maybe he misses you and wants a catch up," Dom said. "Are you going to tell him you're too busy with your boyfriend? It is Valentine's day this weekend, remember."

"I don't think Adam's officially my boyfriend," Hope said vaguely. "And no, I think I should meet Teddy first. It sounds important. Hopefully Adam won't mind meeting me after."

Adam, if anything, seemed delighted to have some extra time to spend with 'the guys' in The Three Broomsticks, and, too preoccupied with her worries about Teddy to feel offended, Hope had yet another sleepless night, staring blankly up at the dark ceiling and wondering what new issues this 'quick chat' might unearth.

She met Teddy in Nifflers, a tiny cafe turned charity shop that no one under the age of fifty ever visited and that, unlike the pub, was guaranteed to be devoid of students. They sat down as far back as they could, and Teddy cast a muffling charm around them.

"How are you?" he started, as Hope sipped the hot chocolate he had bought for her. He didn't touch his own coffee.

Hope raised her eyebrows.

"You haven't come all the way up here on a freezing Saturday morning to ask how I am," she said. "What's up? What's happened?"

In answer, Teddy dug a folded newspaper out of his coat. Hope rarely bothered to read the news nowadays - it was always so depressing - but she recognised the distinctive Daily Prophet headlines at once. Teddy opened it up, smoothed it out and pointed to an article halfway down page four.

"I didn't want you reading about it before I got a chance to speak to you," he said, as Hope took in the headline.

Fallen from Grace - Ex Hogwarts Headboy Suspended from St Mungo's

Heart thumping, she scanned the text. It was a short article and the author didn't appear to have all the details, but the overall message was clear, and candid. Teddy Lupin, Outstanding NEWT level student and previous Head Boy at Hogwarts school, had recently abused his position within St Mungo's hospital, using hospital resources without permission to save his own mother's life. He had overruled the healers and done what he believed to be best. What did that mean, the article asked, for the reputation of hospital staff in general? Could they be trusted to lead with their heads and not their hearts, as was allegedly the St Mungo's way? And surely only dismissal could be the appropriate action against such flagrant disregard of the rules. Rules that were of paramount importance during the ongoing worldwide health crisis.

Hope finished reading and stared up at him, sickened.

"How?" she murmured. "How the hell did they find out?"

"I don't know." Teddy pulled at a chunk of hair in agitation. "This has been kept as quiet as possible, as you know. I don't know how it could have reached the Daily Prophet, of all places."

"Healer Phennah," Hope said. "It must be. You said she reported you in the first place, and she wasn't exactly happy about what you did. We could all see that."

Teddy sighed. "I know, but I don't think she'd have done this. She's a stickler for the rules but she's not underhand, and in general she was supportive of my work and research. I haven't even had a verdict yet - who's to say I won't be dismissed anyway? - and this is damaging to St Mungo's' reputation. Why would any healer want that? Not to mention that if she was caught leaking sensitive information to outside sources she'd be in serious trouble. As much if not more than I'm in now."

"But who else could it have been? Are you sure you didn't let slip to anyone else? Any of your friends?"

"No, only Victoire. Jessye wouldn't have told anyone either. She's as trustworthy as they come."

"When did you tell Victoire?"

Teddy narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I'm not accusing her!" Hope protested at once. "I'm just saying... I haven't spoken about this to anyone. None of our family would have. Or Kingsley or Hestia. You're telling me barely anyone at St Mungo's knew and even then they wouldn't risk their own job security. If the only person you told is Victoire how has some random reporter found out? Maybe - maybe someone overheard you telling her."

"We weren't somewhere we could have been overheard. Trust me."

Teddy's tone was clipped and Hope fell silent. The last thing she wanted was to sound as though she was accusing Victoire of betrayal, on top of all Teddy's other worries.

"You wrote to me yesterday," she said, running a finger absentmindedly over the date at the top of paper. "And this has been printed this morning. How did you know it was coming?"

"Clara," Teddy said. "My friend from school, you know?"

Hope found it difficult to keep track of Teddy's friends, he had that many of them. She thought hard.

"Clara's the one who writes for the The Magizoologist? Who comes round to talk to Dad sometimes?

"Yes. She was at the central press offices for a meeting yesterday and found out about it. Came to warn me straight away."

"And Clara can't find out how they got hold of the information?"

Teddy picked up his coffee, then put it down again without tasting it.

"She's going to try. But the Prophet doesn't normally reveal its sources, and I'm not sure it matters now. The secret's out, so the damage is done."

O

Hope had never felt less like going on a date after that bombshell, but it would be rude to bail on Adam now, and so, once she had said goodbye to Teddy, she fixed her outward composure and crunched back over the ice covered ground to The Three Broomsticks.

The pub was packed, just as it had been on her last visit, but Hope eventually found Adam in a booth at the back, accompanied by James and the other Gryffindor sixth year boys. They seemed to have drunk rather a lot considering it was only half past eleven.

"Oooh," Neil said, seeing her approaching and nudging Adam. "Watch out, girlfriend alert."

It was the first time Hope had heard herself referred to as girlfriend, and she stiffened. But Adam just winked at her, apparently unperturbed by Neil's comment.

Maybe he is your boyfriend now then.

"I'll finish this, then we can head off to lunch," Adam assured her, indicating his drink.

"Sit down," Matt said, shifting up, and she squeezed in between him and Adam. Adam gave her a quick pat on the leg under the table but, as she had now come to expect, made no other physical move to greet her.

"How's Teddy?" James demanded. "Why didn't he come and say hi?"

"Probably assumed you'd be busy with a Valentine's Day date," Hope shot back smoothly. It was a childish dig, she knew, but the loud laughter from the others at the table gave her a leap of satisfaction nonetheless.

The next hour passed in light hearted teasing and joking, as Adam worked his way through his drink at snail's pace, and Hope kept the smile plastered to her face and tried to enjoy herself. The boys were treating her a mate, as if she was one of them, not merely Adam's girlfriend, which was a pleasant feeling. But every few seconds Teddy's stricken face would pop into her head, the words of the article swimming before her eyes, and her mind raced as she thought of all the potential consequences of the article that was now irrevocably out for the world to read.

"Shall we go to lunch then?" Adam asked, finally finishing the last dregs of his drink and setting down his glass.

"Have fun!" Neil called after them, as they left.

"Be good," Matt added.

"Or not..." James sniggered.

The street outside was quiet, and Adam put an arm round her shoulders and gave her a kiss, before slipping his hand though hers. Hope experienced her usual flash of confusion. Why did he only do that when his friends weren't around? Was he embarrassed by her? Did he think they would make fun of him? But they all made fun of each other anyway, James Potter saw to that.

Stop overthinking and enjoy your date.

"So your brother's OK then?" Adam enquired, once they had been seated at their table in The Poltergeist and were waiting for their food to arrive.

Hope hesitated. She hadn't planned on telling Adam about Teddy yet, wanting to talk to Dom and Roxanne about it above all. But that's what boyfriends (even unofficial-sort-of-boyfriends) were for, wasn't it? Shouldn't she be able to talk to Adam about anything? And, as she constantly had to keep reminding herself, Dom and Roxanne wouldn't be here on a daily basis to help and advise her for much longer.

As briefly as she could, she told Adam what had happened at the hospital back in October, how Teddy had taken a risk to save their mother's life, and how he was now paying the price. How, somehow, the news had been leaked to the press, which would almost certainly have a negative impact on Teddy's hearing.

"... Teddy loves that job!" she finished. "And it's so important. He'd be devastated if he lost it. We all would."

"It'll be OK." Adam said, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

Will it?

"But what if it's not?" she persisted. "What if he loses his job? He's worked so hard the last few years and it would be so unfair because he's great at it, and he's well on the way to finding a cure for werewolves. And he saved Mum's life. The treatment worked."

"Yeah," Adam said, patting her hand again sympathetically, his attention waning visibly as the waitress put their food in front of them. "Yeah, it's a tricky one. But I'm sure it will be fine."

Hope looked down at her plate, not remotely hungry. She liked Adam a lot. She really did. And he was funny and kind and good looking, and he clearly meant well when he spoke to her like that. So why did she currently want nothing more than to cut the date short and go back up to school to join her friends?

O

Dom and Roxanne's reactions, when Hope sought them out to tell them the news on her return from Hogsmeade, were far more comforting. Full of outrage on Teddy's behalf, understanding as to why she had not told them before, and sympathy for the burden of knowledge she had been carrying on her own since October, they abandoned their studies for the entire evening and found a private spot behind a tapestry on the fifth floor to sit and discuss the matter in detail.

"I guess that's why Victoire's been so wound up," Dom said, looking guilty. "I wouldn't have been so hard on her if I'd known."

"Have you heard from her at all?"

"No. Victoire and I don't really do letters," Dom said, smiling slightly. "But Mum said she's been stressed at work and a bit off in general. They're trying to convince her to ask for a few days leave, I think. She's had no time off since she started except for a couple of days at Christmas."

Hope slumped back against the wall.

"I thought things would be better by now," she said. "When they announced the cure back in November, I thought the situation would keep improving. But it feels like everything's getting worse again. Even Teddy's suspension aside, nothing seems to be going right."

"I've noticed that too," Dom said. "It feels like it did last summer. All the teachers seem tense. And our parents. As if-" she trailed off.

"As if what?" Roxanne prompted.

"As if they're waiting for something," Dom said at last. "I know that sounds overdramatic, but don't you think? There's a weird atmosphere everywhere, as if something bad is about to happen."

At this, a cold, prickling sensation shot down Hope's spine.

"Strike Three," she murmured.

"What?"

It had been bothering Hope on and off for months now, and with the events of St Mungo's out in the open, she could finally share her worries with her friends.

"When Mum and Dad told me about the planted vaccine in the summer, Mum said something about it being Strike One," she explained, sitting up straighter. "I didn't think much of it at the time. But then the day Mum went into hospital, Harry talked about strikes as well. He said The Crow had cursed Mum deliberately, that he was going to use the spell he'd created for blackmail, and he said that was Strike Two. I asked him about it later, but he fobbed me off, said it was Auror terminology."

"Auror terminology?" Roxanne repeated, her tone sceptical. "We have two aurors in the family - three if you include Uncle Ron - and I've never heard anyone talk about strikes."

"Exactly!" Hope said. "Me neither. Mum's told me loads about her work before but never mentioned strikes."

She bit her lip. "So, if it's not general Auror lingo, what if it's specifically to do with the curse? Or The Crow? Dom's right, last summer remember how tense everything felt here? And back in September it was the same. Both times something big happened to do with the curse not long after. So what if people are waiting for something else to happen? Waiting for Strike Three?"

"But wouldn't it be common knowledge by now?" Dom objected. "If these strikes were a real thing?"

"Adults can keep a lot from us when they want to," Roxanne said gloomily. "And Minister Shacklebolt is very good at maintaining control over sensitive information and who it goes to. I can see how the teachers and our parents would all know but we would be kept in the dark. They'd want to avoid panic."

The more Hope thought about it, the more sense it made. It would explain the teachers' tense behaviour. Her parents' words of caution whenever they wrote to her. The shifty look in Teddy's eyes on those occasions where she had badgered him for news on The Crow.

"What do you think it could be?" Dom asked, a nervous tremor in her voice.

Even Roxanne did not offer any suggestions in response to this, but as she looked between her two friends, Hope knew they were all thinking the same thing. If Strike Three was indeed on the horizon, it was a long, dark road that now lay ahead of them.

OOO