A Second Chance

by Breanie

What if Sirius didn't spend twelve years in prison, but was given a trial after four years? Follow the story of Sirius Black as he learns what it means to be a father/brother/guardian to his young godson & the story of Harry Potter, a young boy with a loving home who learns about the Marauders from the two men who should have raised him. Slow-burn Hinny. M for sex & violence.

317. Chapter 317

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! I am back!

My niece is set to arrive today — I am hoping! So to celebrate my excitement at getting to become an Auntie again, I am posting a day early!

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate all of the kind messages, comments, and tumblr notifications I received supporting me and my decision to take a break. January-February are always rough months for me. Maybe it's the winter gloom, maybe it's the long days, I don't know, but I always find myself struggling to motivate myself to do anything, including getting out of bed. One of the biggest problems with this is social media. It has a lot of good, but it also can be very stressful. I've made some amazing friends there and met some truly amazing people (Sam, Dusk, celtics534, bum, Pottermum, Ellieoryan7447, GryffindorHealer, etc) and of these people, I've found not only creative people to help articulate and create my own craft with, but actual friends who I share stuff about my personal life with. I cannot express how amazing that is and how much I appreciate those people — you know who are you.

But sometimes social media and being anonymous on the internet can bog you down. I don't expect everyone to like my story or my writing, but negativity or drama is not something that I want or need in my life. I am thirty-five years old and I didn't want anything to do with negativity or drama when I was in high school, why would I want that now? I love to share my stuff on tumblr and to post on and Ao3. I love to chat with like-minded people on discord, but sometimes — I just need to unplug.

This break was something that I truly needed. I needed to disappear from the world of social media and internet chat. I needed some time just to be with myself. To be in a world of physical people over the preferred world of the internet and you know, it was good for me and I hope that you will all agree, that it was also good for ASC.

Thank you again to every one of you who showed me the support and appreciation that I needed in taking this break. It was something that I desperately needed to do for myself. Thank you. And I hope that some of you are excited to see me return and maybe even excited to see where the story goes next because I know I'm excited to finish this amazing 4 year ride with all of you! :D

Reviews and Comments: To anjagpotter: Thank you! To sleepsinatree: I thought so, too! Thank you! To Dianne: Thank you for saying chapter 316 felt like a warm hug, that's lovely to hear! I love that you've been waiting so long for Theo to gush about Sebastian! And ha, Theo said in the top kisses, but trust me, Bas was number one! Finn would be really proud to see Theo so happy. I'm so glad you loved the date so much! Yes, the Potter boys do have some great upper-arm strength as well as talented tongues lol. As to Sebastian's accent, I have this head canon that K, D, and J don't really have an accent. They've trained themselves to lose those distinct language dialects and characterizations to help themselves blend in more to their environment. Sebastian is from Ireland, but he doesn't really have a particular Irish accent. I love that you spent 55 minutes writing me a review — you're amazing! Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Thank you! Haha, yes, Azkaban is not in the top hot spots for dating LOL. To scrappy8: Thank you! I'm glad that you loved the Ginny and Theo chat.

To alix33: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and yes, Draco and Blaise will be pleased when they find out. To ninaz08: Thank you very much! To Sara: Thank you! I did promise you all fluff. I love that you're planning to re-read all of the Theobas chapters, that's so sweet. Auror Arsehole is a total softy! To wolfjinx15475: Thank you for saying that I was spoiling you. Yes, Hinny were side characters in chapter 316 because I wanted to dedicate the entirety of it to Theo and Bas. I just have so much about them that I want to share. They definitely feel like the other one's a catch, which makes it more adorable in my opinion. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To CherrySara: Thank you! I'm glad you loved the chapter. I wanted some happy and fun and fluff to share. I completely understand the need for some you time and I look forward to seeing you return to ASC soon! To darkhk: Thank you! I'm honoured I made you smile with so much happiness!

To Person: I thought ending on a fluff and happy note was a nice change. Thank you! To Guest: We will see more Fred and Fiadh soon. We will also see more of Neville and Hannah soon. You think Fred will die in the final battle and Fiadh will be pregnant? Interesting. We'll have to see what happens! To the Mandalorian terminator: Nope, it was hot in there lol. Thank you! I'm glad you liked my Hinny smut as well as Theo and Bas' dates. To Griffind0r: Thank you! I am completely honoured to hear that you fall more in love with this story each chapter. That means a lot! To Cath: Good luck on your final exams! Thank you very much! To ellyann13: Theo does have terrible gaydar LOL. Thanks for loving the chapter and loving my Hinny and Theobas moments! To CrazyWithABook: Thank you!

To Brianna: Thank you very much! I love that you've been thinking about this story the whole time! To Shivani: Thank you for saying that 316 was your new favourite chapter! I am quite proud of the Hinny smut and yes, Theo and Bas were definitely awesome! I love that you quoted your favourite lines! I smiled the whole time I read this review! Thank you! To sunlitdxys: Yes, Bas is a smooth talker lol. Theo is a bit speechless and I really love writing them! I missed some Hinny smut too so I had to show how much. Thank you! To puttyman24: Thank you for saying that Bas and Theo are awesome together. And yes, poor Harry. He is going to have a long week! To Derpdude32: Thank you very much! And yes, your threat is noted LOL. To tryagain4me: Thank you very much! To GODMISHA: Thank you very much! It was a bit of a calm before the storm, but the storm is still a while off as well. Thank you for saying this is the best fanfic, that means so much to me! To akshutalankar: Thank you very much!

To ANewRanger: Thank you very much! To yunkol76: Thank you and ha, I love that you were reading my chapter while helping your niece sell girl scout cookies! Points to you for being awesome! To Nightwing2013: Thank you! Yes, they are restarting their bet and aww, betting against Harry! He is very stubborn, you know… Thank you! To pix25: Thank you! I was proud of how the shower scene turned out. To Steelcode: I love panicked Theo, too! Yes, he was so worried and wanted to look perfect and yet casual. Ha, Theo's not a Hoarder (unless clothes count LOL). Thank you! To Midnight: Thank you! Theo doesn't wear the ring from Finn anymore. After he told Bas all about him back in December (including about the ring), he put it away in his jewellery box. To 15: Thank you! To cateyes033: Thank you! To notthatchhavi: Thank you! I think this was the shortest review you've left me, but I'm glad you loved Theobas and Hinny!

To shuweet: Thank you very much! I'm glad you're obsessed! It means I know you'll be waiting for me to come back! To katelyn453: Thank you! I'm honoured that you're going to re-read from the beginning! Enjoy! To TatiRena: Thank you! To AnaGPotter: Thank you very much! It was all fluffy and love and yes, dark times are coming. To BadWolfKris: I read that in the voice, so thank you. To AQuickRead91: Thank you! To hermyown22: Thank you so much for saying that ASC is one of the best fics you've ever read. I love that you love my OCs and my fleshing out of underdeveloped characters. I really appreciate that. Thank you so much! To CorbanD17: Thanks for being around since the beginning. To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! I love that this chapter made your heart so happy! Theo and Bas are idiots in love they just don't know it yet. I love writing Harry and Ginny banter and the way they tease each other. To AvatarJedi: Aww, thank you! I love that people are sad that there aren't Theobas stories or other gay Theo fics. That makes me feel great. I usually always find Theo stories where he is paired up with Hermione or Pansy. I don't approve of either. Thank you so much!

To LadyRava: Thank you very much! To Joyce Foesenek: Yes, a lot of romance for both couples and of course some great smut for Hinny. I wanted some happiness as a leave off. Thank you! To Merrillma22: Aww, thank you! That's so sweet to know that the antiquing bit felt personal to you. I appreciate your kind thoughts on me having a solid reader base, sometimes it's really nice to be reminded of that. To Bellmel: Thank you for saying Theobas was well worth the wait! I agree, they are so adorable and honestly so much fun to write! There will be lots more of them to come just because I really love writing them! Ginny and Theo debriefing after their date is pretty much mandatory, isn't it? Thank you so much!

To Guest: Aww, I miss Sirius and Marauder as well! Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the Theobas and yes, we did love the Hufflepuff hero and Slytherin Princess. I love Rolf adoring Zee as well. He's definitely a big fan! Thank you! To gemini614: Thank you! It's definitely my favourite head canon about Theo having zero gaydar! Yes, history of antiques is exciting! I loved giving Bas this random hobby that is fun! To Zarathos Morgenstern: Thank you for reading for 15 days straight! Glad you're enjoying it so much! To threereasonswhy: Aw, I miss Finn too, but I love Bas so much more! To tim2604: It was mainly Theo centric and fluffy which I thought he deserved. Thank you! I was very proud of that sentence myself, Bas haggling is satisfying to read, isn't it? Yes, Hinny in the shower was so hot to write! I loved him just carrying her on his shoulders. Harry will definitely be struggling with this bet! Ten seconds might be too generous for him LOL.

To Lucifer'sMinion411: Thank you for stumbling across ASC by sheer luck! Can I ask how you stumbled upon it? Thank you so much for saying it is one of the best stories you've ever read! I love that you skipped one day of work just to read (I'm honoured!). I love that you don't usually like Hinny but that my story made you fall in love with them! Thank you! I love that you're so "damn excited to finally be here!" Welcome to the world of ASC! Thanks for the lovely review! To Sloopyqueen4: I hope the patience was worth it! Thank you! To oops-cant-say: I did say 2-4 weeks and technically this is taking 3, I'm posting at the end of 3 weeks almost four. I didn't forget about you, promise! To sygt: Thank you! I love that you're already obsessed with Theo and Bas! I thought we needed a nice break from the heavy stuff. Yes, I wrote Harry and Ginny's first time months and months ago. Thank you!

To Ellieoryan7447: Theo and Ginny squealing in a broom closet together just makes sense, doesn't it? They definitely both like being pinned against things. Admitting Bas makes him feel something Finn didn't is a big deal for him, you're right. I love that Theo and Bas are both nervous around each other. Harry is definitely a good captain and I'm glad you liked my Hinny smut. Harry definitely has strong arms, but they also had the wall for support. Harry and Ginny definitely know how to shower together LOL. Yes, the bet… poor Harry. It's going to be a LONG week. Yes, Bas loves to antique and I love him teasing Theo for not even batting an eye at the price. Harry trying to think of repulsive things while Ginny rides his fingers is definitely hilarious, the poor boy is dying. I love Ron finding them and Harry hiding the hickey. They definitely do feel lonely when they aren't sleeping together. Thank you for two such amazing reviews!

To Skidattles: Thank you! You are so sweet! I wasn't really okay, but I am now (mostly). I just really needed to take some self-care and it was great for me! Yes, Theo is a bit lovestruck and I love his lack of gaydar for personal matters making you laugh. It was my intention! I like to keep my character scenes natural, so thank you. They are definitely sweet and awkward. LOL, not every bit was pure no. Thank you for saying chef's kiss to the Hinny scene. Yes. Bas and Finn needed to have some parallels to show just what Theo needs. Thank you for saying: "Theo needed a hero, sometimes to love him unconditionally and unrelentlessly. Someone to show him his worth and show him a world he never knew existed. Finn was that, and then he died and Theo grew up, he needed someone that could treat him as an equal, and hold back if they needed to, He needed to fall in love as a man and not a boy and Bas is that." — I completely agree! Thanks as always for that beautiful review! To I_heart_cat: Thank you! I wanted to leave with a happy chapter and yes, I will continue to build on Sebastian's character. I wanted to show the vulnerability between both of them and how they are both nervous. Theo will definitely never learn to haggle lol, he will leave that to Bas. Harry might be going insane and Ginny will definitely tease him. Thank you!

My posting schedule: Weekly.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!

---

CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN:

The One With Theo's Patronus

It was almost midnight before Ginny had climbed into bed with him. Harry snuggled her close under the blankets, his hands slipping down to find her only in one of his old Quidditch jerseys and her knickers.

"Mmm, glad you came back," he said, kissing her forehead.

"I helped myself to some pjs," she whispered. "I didn't want to risk sneaking back out of my dorm."

"No complaints here," Harry said, kissing her softly. "How was Theo's date?"

"He says amazing," Ginny said.

"Good. You can fill me in tomorrow."

Ginny snuggled closer in the narrow bed and it wasn't long before they both fell asleep. Harry woke first, his face covered in the soft red hair that was tickling his nose and the flowery smell that he loved. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. He couldn't imagine a better way to wake up than next to her. He carefully extracted himself from the bed so as not to wake her and made his way to the bathroom. When he returned, she was snuggled into his pillow, sprawled out and taking up most of the narrow bed. Harry carefully closed the curtains around him, enacting a quick privacy charm before he lifted up the blankets and carefully slid Ginny up the bed.

She let out a small groan and then a small gasp when he began to kiss her through her knickers. Her eyes fluttered open and her hands slid into his hair.

"Mmm, is it morning?" she asked.

Instead of answering, he used his fingers to push her knickers aside to make room for his mouth. Ginny wrapped her legs over his shoulders and Harry began to use his tongue with reckless abandon. She came before he moved up the bed to hold her in his arms.

"You should stay in here with me every night," he said, kissing her cheek.

Ginny was still trying to catch her breath and Harry was trying to ignore his rock hard erection that was brushing against her hip.

"I can't stay here every night," she said. "My roommates will tell on me."

"Fuck them," he muttered. "I want you here."

Ginny brushed her lips over his. "I love waking up next to you."

Harry brushed her hair away from her face. "I love you."

They kissed softly before Harry rolled onto his back.

"I need a minute."

Ginny kissed his shoulder. "I should get back to my room anyway. Shower and get dressed. I'll see you at breakfast." He nodded and Ginny pecked him on the lips. "I love you."

Harry watched her sneak out, Seamus' snores echoing in the room and he stared down at his erection with a grimace. He climbed out of bed and made his way into the bathroom, turning the shower on ice cold.

This week really couldn't end fast enough.

~ ASC ~

Pansy was finally starting to settle into her new life at Wiltshire Manor. She had the master bedroom suite all to herself when she wanted alone time and there were enough people around that if she wanted to socialize, finding someone wasn't a problem. It was nice to have other babies around to socialize with Grayson, to talk to other women about babies and feeding and nappies.

Not to mention what it was like being pregnant. Again.

Healer Brown had confirmed it for her before the new year. She was pregnant again. This one would be due in August, making her two children only eleven months apart. It wasn't exactly what she had been planning for her life, but she knew with absolute certainty that she wanted this baby. She only wished that Greg was here to help her with the pregnancy.

Greg.

Pansy couldn't even put into words how much she missed him. It had been almost a month since she'd last seen him. She had no idea what had become of him. If he was locked up in the crypt or put away in a different safe house, she didn't know. But she missed him. She missed having him beside her at night. She missed the way he would listen attentively to everything she said and she missed watching him rock Grayson to sleep. She missed the way he would hold her in his sleep, his face buried in the crook of her neck as he spooned her. She missed the feel of his beard on her skin. She missed seeing him propped up in bed, glasses resting on his nose as he read a book.

She just missed him.

The only thing she continued to do to occupy her time was to design and make lingerie. It had taken Mitzy a few weeks to heal, but the elf was back on her feet and willing to help Pansy with whatever it was she may need. She'd purchased materials from France and Italy, India and South Korea, and even some from Greece and Russia. They arrived in abundance in bright colours, gorgeous embroidered lace, and the softest of silks and satins.

Pansy also had new coloured pencils and fresh sketchbooks to work out her designs and the last person she had expected to be so helpful was Blaise. Blaise had gone out of his way to spend time in her rooms, lounging in her sitting room and giving her tips on her sketches. Not to mention the fact that he made an excellent model.

Blaise was more than willing to parade around in skimpy thongs and g-strings, to wear tight shorts and sleep pants or transparent robes with ease. Not to mention he looked bloody good in everything. He gave her helpful advice on making the lingerie comfortable or adjusting certain aspects to show more/less skin. Pansy found him extremely helpful and it helped take her mind off of her worry about Greg.

Millicent Bulstrode had turned out to be another surprise. Pansy had never been nice to the witch. In fact, she'd been one of the main girls in Slytherin to pick on her for her body and for calling her ugly. But now, looking at the witch with the scar on her face and the horror in her eyes, she felt for her in ways that she couldn't explain. They bonded over being mothers, over being forced to marry so young. But Pansy had Greg while Millie had been forced to marry Crouch.

Some of the things that Millie told her Crouch had done were beyond disgusting. The fact that he'd married two witches only somehow made it worse. Poor Hestia was even pregnant again and had been violently ill for the last three weeks every afternoon around two. Millie took incredible care of her, holding the witch's hair back, rubbing her back, and making sure that she had everything she could ever need. She mothered her as if she were a child that needed tending to, despite only being two years older.

Aeliana Avery Ledbury had placed her daughter, Evelyn, up for adoption, not able to look down at the child that had been forced upon her. The husband she hadn't wanted was locked in the Azkaban Crypt and she'd chosen to give the child up. Pansy couldn't blame the witch and thought that she was incredibly brave for making that choice.

According to Draco and Blaise, Ted and Andromeda Tonks had come by most days to help with the babies and to talk to the witches about what they needed, but with their deaths, they had lost their help. New help arrived in the new year in the form of Molly Weasley and Sorcha Zacarias. The two witches popped in every two to three days to help take care of the babies, to provide new clothing, and to help the new mums in whatever it was they needed. Healer Brown came by once a week to check on them, offering support and answering questions. And the newest guest came in the form of a beautiful Egyptian mind healer named Na'eemah Hickey.

At first, no one wanted to speak to her. But by her third visit, it seemed she found her time being more and more occupied. Millicent claimed she was amazing and Hestia always felt better after talking to her. Malcolm had cried while talking to her and she listened with patience and ease. Pansy knew that the other witches and wizards had all lived through incredibly traumatic experiences, but she didn't feel the need to talk to her. Her life had been nothing in comparison.

Which was why when Na'eemah came up to her suite that afternoon, she'd been surprised.

"Hello," Na'eemah said, a bright smile on her face. "Pansy, right? I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Na'eemah Hickey."

"I know who you are," Pansy said. "But I'm fine."

Na'eemah nodded. "I can see that. You've done well for yourself from starting your own business to raising your son."

"Exactly. I didn't have any traumatic experiences so I don't need to talk to you."

"That's all right," Na'eemah said. "I only came to say hello and to meet your Grayson."

Pansy hesitated before she let the witch inside. Na'eemah immediately bent down to greet Grayson who was lying on his back on a blanket on the carpet, kicking and moving his arms to play with the mobile Pansy charmed to dance above him.

"He's beautiful," Na'eemah said. "It's so lovely to come here and to see so many happy babies. How did you choose the name Grayson?"

Pansy shrugged. "My husband's paternal line sticks to G names so I thought we'd carry the tradition. He's Grayson Gregory Goyle after his father."

"Lovely," Na'eemah said. "His eyes are very blue. Are they like his father's?"

"Yes," Pansy said. "He looks a lot like his father, but he has my nose."

"And you're pregnant again, I understand?"

"Yes," Pansy said, placing a hand over her flat stomach. "I'm only nine weeks."

"Will you give this one a G name?"

"I haven't thought about it," Pansy admitted. "I've just been thinking about how Greg isn't here to even know that I am pregnant again."

Na'eemah nodded. "Your situation was different from the others. You love your husband."

"I do," Pansy said. "He's never hurt me."

"But others have."

Pansy's eyes narrowed. "I told you, I don't need to talk. I don't have any problems to discuss."

"I apologize if I seem forward, it's a habit of mine. I really just came up to introduce myself and to see your son. But Millie did tell me that her husband boasted you were tortured while pregnant. Her husband is anything but loving and to hear that he boasted about cursing a pregnant woman is absolutely disgusting. Is that true? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine and as you can see, Grayson is fine."

Na'eemah smiled kindly. "I do see. Well, if you ever decide you would like to talk. I am always available."

"Noted," Pansy said, coolly. "But it won't be necessary."

Na'eemah nodded and bid her good day and when Pansy closed the door behind her, she leaned back against it with a sigh. Talking about it wasn't going to do anything. She was still alone and Greg still wasn't here.

Talking about it wasn't going to fix that so what was the point? She shook the thoughts from her head and sat down next to Grayson. If she talked about it wouldn't change anything and it would only make her miss Greg that much more.

It was the last thing that she needed right now.

~ ASC ~

Monday morning, Harry woke to Ginny curled around him. She'd stayed the whole weekend in his bed and he wasn't going to complain. Despite the narrow bed, he liked sleeping with her practically on top of him. Mondays meant she didn't have class until the afternoon while he unfortunately had to go to Potions. He kissed her forehead before he disentangled himself and made his way into the bathroom. Seamus was already standing at the vanity, a towel wrapped around his waist as he shaved.

"Overnight guest again, eh?"

Harry held up two fingers as he yawned and made his way to the stall. After taking a very cold shower, he dressed for the day. Ginny was still sleeping so he kissed her cheek and made his way down to breakfast with Neville.

"So," Neville began, his lips curving. "You and Ginny have progressed to sleepovers?"

Harry shot him a look. "You can't really talk considering Dean and Seamus share a bed ninety-nine percent of the time."

"Yeah, but it's their room. Ginny's room is most definitely not in our dorm," Neville said, his eyes twinkling.

"I love waking up with her, Nev," Harry admitted, looking over at his friend, perfectly well aware that he had a soppy look on his face. "I love holding her and I love when she snuggles into me and yes, I want her to stay there every night, okay?"

Neville raised an eyebrow. "So, if you have your incredibly beautiful girlfriend sleeping in your bed for the last two nights, why are you taking ice cold showers three times a day?"

Harry grimaced. He was still trying not to think about that. "Because I lost a bet."

Neville frowned. "A bet that involves cold showers?"

"No," Harry said, lowering his voice as they reached the bottom of the staircase. "A bet that involves me not being able to get off for a week."

"What?" Neville exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"Look, it's a long story and Ginny is basically trying to kill me."

"She must be," Neville said in disbelief. "Hannah and I aren't sleeping together and I wank at least twice a day to stay sane. That's not even including all of the times she drives me mad and I have to add another one in. Are your balls blue?"

"Shut up, Neville," Harry said, his cheeks heating. "It's only for a few more days."

"So, I guess me asking if you two are shagging is a no then?" he teased.

Harry glared at him. "Shut up, Neville."

Neville was still chuckling when they arrived at the Great Hall and sat down to breakfast. Hermione was already there eating, but Ron was no where to be found. Harry sat next to his friend, biting back a yawn.

"I could have used an extra lie-in this morning," Harry admitted. "Where's Ron?"

"Falling asleep in the shower when I left," Hermione said. "He just kept going back to sleep this morning. He better get flying because he's going to miss breakfast."

Harry noted that the post had already arrived and he skimmed through the paper as he ate. He gave his friend a sympathetic look when he sat next to him, filling his plate with bacon and eggs.

"Rough morning?"

Ron rolled his eyes. He had arrived with his hair still wet with five minutes to spare. "I fell back asleep. I already got the lecture from Hermione."

"No lecture, mate," Harry said. "Besides, you have to enjoy the extra lie-in while you can. I want to get back to early morning practices."

Ron glowered at him before he shoved an oatcake into his mouth. "Just because you have some mad urge to go running around the pitch at six in the bleeding morning doesn't mean the rest of us want to join you."

"Running first thing and boosting your adrenaline for the day is good for you," Harry said, helping himself to some more orange juice.

"I run enough during practice," Ron retorted. "I'm fit enough, thanks, but you go right ahead."

Harry stuck his tongue out at his friend just as the charm went off signifying they had ten minutes to get to their classes. He reached for his bag and realized it wasn't there.

"Shit, I forgot my bag on my trunk," Harry said.

"Better run, mate," Ron said. "Potions isn't exactly next door to Gryffindor."

Harry nodded and headed off to Gryffindor Tower to get his potions books. When he stepped into the dorm, the sight of his girlfriend sleeping in his bed made his lips curve. The morning sun was coming in through the window making her hair shimmer across his pillow. She had one pale freckled leg sticking out from under the duvet, her hair a mess from sleep. Unable to stop himself, he moved around his trunk to sit on the end of the bed, trailing his fingers up her exposed leg.

Ginny's leg twitched before she opened one eye, letting out a sleepy moan. "Why are you dressed?"

"Classes start in five minutes," he said, tugging the duvet down to look at her in his old shirt. "But I forgot my bag."

"It's over there," Ginny said, gesturing towards his trunk.

"It is," Harry said, dancing his fingers along her calf. "But I see something much more enjoyable over here."

Her brown eyes twinkled at him as she stretched in his bed. "Really? What's that?"

Harry smiled slowly and she reached up to grab his tie, tugging him down towards her to kiss her. Harry definitely didn't protest as her lips met his for a long, soft kiss. Ginny didn't let go of his tie, holding him in place as she took her fill of his mouth. When she finally moved back, Harry kissed her throat.

"I wish I had a free period," he murmured, dancing his mouth along her neck.

"Skive off," she suggested.

"Can't," Harry told her. "Seamus is my potions partner and he'll kill me if I leave him alone."

"I'll protect you," she said, her hands sliding down to grip his arse. "Promise."

Harry kissed her again before he sat up, dragging a hand through his messy hair. "Don't tempt me."

Ginny bit her bottom lip before she sat up and pulled her shirt over her head. Harry's eyes immediately settled on her naked breasts and he groaned.

"That's not playing fair."

Ginny merely lied back down, her fingers playing with the waistband of her knickers. "Oh?"

Harry made a growling sound in the back of his throat before he crawled over her to kiss her breasts. He dragged his tongue over a nipple, watching it go taut as his thumb tweaked the other one.

"I'm going to be late for class."

"Very, very late," Ginny corrected as she took his glasses.

He missed almost the first hour.

Harry hurried into the dungeons, apologizing to Slughorn for his extreme tardiness. Lucky for him, it was Slughorn and the man merely waved him off and urged him to help Seamus with the invisibility potion. He'd barely sat down before Seamus shot him an amused look.

"Couldn't find your potions book?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "Lost it."

"Looking in Ginny's knickers probably didn't help."

Harry's lips curved. "I don't know what you're talking about. Her knickers were instrumental in me finding it."

When Seamus merely chuckled in response, he knew he was still grinning like a fool. He could still taste her on his lips and the sounds of her moans were still echoing in his mind as he remembered how he'd used his tongue. He shifted to try to get rid of his rising erection, again, and thought five more days to go.

~ ASC ~

By Wednesday, Harry was positive that he was going to combust and die. He'd spent his lunch hour in a broom cupboard on his knees, his tongue and fingers buried so deep inside of his girlfriend that she'd left nail indentations in his shoulders. He'd gotten her off twice with a smile, kissing her thighs before he walked her to Defence Against the Dark Arts. He was supposed to meet Ron for his free period, but he had to run off to take a cold shower first and felt it did nothing to stop his balls from being blue.

He'd even let his hand linger to touch himself before he'd angled his cock directly under the cold spray. This was the worst bet he'd ever made. He met Ginny after class and practically dragged her to the tower room. She'd been laughing when he pinned her against the door of the room, but the sound she was making a few minutes later as she rode his fingers was anything but. When she came, clenching around his fingers, he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Fuck."

"Mmm?"

Harry let out a slow breath, bringing his fingers to his lips. "I need a minute."

Ginny's lips curved as her hand slid down to cup him through his trousers.

"Don't touch me," he whispered. "I won't make it if you touch me."

Ginny bit her bottom lip. "Harry, it is so sexy how hot you get when you pleasure me."

He let out a slow breath, his face still buried. "You're so beautiful."

Ginny framed his face in her hands to kiss him. "You don't have to do this. It was a stupid bet."

"No," he insisted. "It's only three more days. I can make it."

Ginny's fingers brushed over his belt. "Doesn't mean you should."

His breath hitched. "No. I can do it."

Ginny slid her hands up his chest. "You don't have to be so stubborn. I won't think any less of you."

Instead of responding, Harry picked her up and carried her to the sofa. He sat her on the cushion and danced his fingers under her skirt. He tugged her knickers off from where they had been sitting at her knees and then knelt before her. Ginny let out a small whimper.

"I'm going to enjoy every second of this," he said, tossing his glasses onto the cushion next to her.

"Harry," Ginny began but he was already ducking his head under her skirt, pulling her hips closer and using his tongue. He brought her right to the edge of reason before he stopped, kissing her thighs.

"I might not be able to come," he said, kissing each freckle. "But the bet was that you get to. A lot. And I for one, am not going to back down from this challenge."

When his tongue found her again, her legs tightened around his head and he couldn't help but smile as he took care of her. When he added two fingers, she cried out shamelessly, a hand in her hair as she lost control. When she finished, he kissed her thighs again before he sat on the sofa next to her, licking his lips.

"Come on. It's almost time for dinner," he said, putting his glasses back on.

Ginny's face was flushed from pleasure as she looked over at him. "And you standing at full attention might cause a riot in the Great Hall."

"I'll be okay in a minute," he assured her. "I'm trying to picture Slughorn in a bikini."

Ginny choked on her laugh. "Well, there's an image!"

"Hey, it's working pretty damn good for me!"

Ginny chuckled. "A string bikini, right? Maybe it's bright red and makes his old, hairy balls hang out."

"And that did it," Harry said, standing up. He picked her knickers up off the floor and shoved them into his pocket.

"Hey!" Ginny exclaimed. "I'm in a skirt, Harry, I'm going to need those!"

His eyes twinkled at her. "No way. These are mine now."

She attempted to grab them but he jumped back, a grin on his face.

"If you want them, you'll have to take them from me," he teased before he turned and booked it out of the room.

They were both laughing as they ran through the castle, Ginny attempting to catch him as he ran down the stairs. The moving staircases slowed him down enough that she caught up to him, grabbing the edge of his cloak and pulling. He merely shrugged out of it and left her holding it before he smirked and jumped down three more steps.

"Might need longer legs there, Gin," he taunted.

When they made it to the main level, he waited at the bottom and tugged her behind a tapestry. She squealed when he pinned her arms above her head to kiss her neck, one hand holding her wrists in place. His mouth planted hot kisses down her throat, taking his time to make each one linger and flicking his tongue over her skin in a way that made her squirm.

"Harry… give me back my knickers," she whispered.

Harry kissed the pulse in her throat. "But if I give them back to you, I can't do this." His free hand slid between her legs and stroked over her. "Mmm, look at you, wet for me already."

"Harry," she breathed.

He stroked his fingers over her again before he let his hand slip away and kissed her mouth. "We better get to dinner."

Ginny's eyes were wide in desire as he took her hand and led her to the Great Hall. She reached for his pocket again, but he tucked her arm around his waist, holding her hand in place to stop her from reaching it. He tucked them deeper into his back pocket before they sat down to dinner. Ginny gave him an annoyed look before she helped herself to some food. Seamus and Dean were talking about the plan for Defence Club that night and what the training was going to entail, but Harry listened with half an ear. His eyes were on his girlfriend, watching the way she ate happily, her legs clamped shut as if terrified someone would see her.

Feeling bold, he reached his left hand down to sit on her thigh, kneading gently. She gave him a look and he only smiled. He kept his hand there, not moving for a few minutes as they ate before he inched it lower.

"Harry!" Ginny hissed under her breath.

He leaned into her in lieu of grabbing the pepper. "Problem, Gin?"

She made to say something, but his hand slid under her skirt and he watched her bite her bottom lip a second before her legs parted.

Harry picked up his glass and took a long drink of pumpkin juice at the same time that he stroked his fingers over her. Ginny's cheeks were flushed as Dean asked her a question about flying. She gave a quick answer and when Dean turned back to his boyfriend, Harry slipped his fingertip into her. The small breath that escaped her lips had him grinning into his food.

"Hey, Ginny!" Colin exclaimed, coming over to stand behind them. "Can we talk before Defence Club about your newest article? I think I have a lead on who the author might be."

"Sure, Colin," she said slowly. "That would be fine. Af-after dinner, okay?"

"Perfect! I also think that we should do a counter article!" he exclaimed.

Harry kept his eyes on his girlfriend as he slid his finger up to circle her clit. "What kind of counter article, Colin?"

Ginny glared at him.

"Well, there was so much great response from the calendar, I think we should do one about the witches. At least rank the best arses for fun, you know?" Colin said. "Maybe we can even do a poll and see what the masses think?"

Harry stabbed a potato with his fork as he began to rub her clit faster. "Sounds perfect to me. Don't you think, Gin?"

"Ye-yes," she said.

"You okay?" Colin asked, frowning. "You're looking a bit flushed."

"Fine," Ginny said. "We'll talk more after… d-dinner."

Colin gave her a look before he nodded and hurried back down the table to sit with Freya.

"You sure you're okay, Ginny?" Harry asked, pumping two fingers into her. "You do look a bit… hot."

"Harry…"

He grinned, pumping a bit faster. He rubbed his thumb over her clit, building momentum and he felt her let out that small startled breath that warned him she was close. He kissed her cheek before he slid his hand out from under her skirt entirely.

"Wouldn't want you to burn up." He winked at her, wiping his hand on his trousers, before turning back to his dinner.

Ginny crossed her legs, her breathing heavy. "You're going to pay for that, Potter."

Harry figured she might be right, but right now he was too pleased with himself to care. He wasn't the only one who was going to be uncomfortable tonight. Colin snagged her after dinner to talk more about the article and it was almost an hour before she caught up to him again. They were halfway down the stairs to Slytherin's chamber when she pulled him into an alcove tucked off to the side and covered them both with his invisibility cloak.

"When did you nick this?" he asked.

"Not important," Ginny said. "Please, I can't… I need you."

Her words sent desire straight through him. He knelt before her, lifting her skirt as she pulled his glasses off. She was so ready for him that he could taste her desire. He wasted no time, using his fingers and mouth to get her off and it was only a few minutes before she was bucking against him, her eyes wide in pleasure. He stood slowly, his hands sliding around to cup her bum.

"I'm still not giving you back your knickers."

Then he took the cloak and shoved it under his own cloak, shrinking it down as she chased him down the stairs and thought maybe this bet wasn't going to be so bad after all. He had three more days to make her completely mad for him and Harry was starting to think that it might have more merit than he'd originally thought.

~ ASC ~

After running through the obstacle course again and again, Harry felt that his duelling abilities of fighting more than one person had definitely improved drastically. He had no problem fighting two to three opponents at the same time and keeping them at bay while he worked at keeping his shield up. Remus told him that he was doing great, but that he had an idea he wanted to run past him for next week.

Harry wasn't sure what this idea was, but he was interested in what it could be. He saw Ginny talking to Luna and wondered if he could convince her to stay in his bed again tonight. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but holding her at night made him feel like he was getting the best sleep of his life. He could count on two hands the number of nights they'd stayed together and yet he never wanted her to leave. He didn't care that the bed was made for one. He didn't care that it meant he was hovered on the edge just to share it with her. All he knew was that he wanted her there with him.

Neville came up next to him, startling him out of his thoughts. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just daydreaming," he admitted, running his fingers through his hair.

"I was thinking," Neville began. "We still have an hour until curfew and you know what we haven't done in forever?"

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Go for a run," Neville told him.

Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Yeah, it has been a while, hasn't it?"

"I thought it would be a fun way to let off some steam. Maybe some of our more troubling frustrations," he added, giving Harry a pointed look. "Not to mention it will be fun. I haven't even transformed since the summer and even then I only ran around my garden a bit."

Harry could agree with that. Outside of the few nights a month he stayed with Remus, he couldn't remember the last time he had transformed either. His main purpose was to sit with Remus and to keep him calm, which he did. They often wrestled and played together, but other than that, he hadn't used his Animagus skill for much. A few times he would use it when going through the obstacle course, but he preferred to stay in his human form as much as possible when duelling. Sometimes it was just knowing that he was able to that made the difference, but still, he did want to use it.

"That sounds great, Nev. We'll have to see if anyone else is interested."

"I'm interested," Theo said, coming up behind them. "Actually, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I need to steal Harry for a moment and am butting into this conversation."

"He's all yours," Neville said.

Theo grinned. "Excellent. I have so many naughty things that I'd like to do with him."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Haha, what do you need, Theo?"

"Maybe I just wanted to bask in your company? Maybe I just wanted to stare into your handsome face and daydream about our weekend together." At Harry's look, he smirked. "Fine, fine. I was hoping that I could borrow you for an hour or so tonight?"

"For?"

Theo let out a frustrated breath. "Because even though you've shown me a thousand times, I still can't make a bloody Patronus!"

Harry gave his friend a sympathetic look. He knew how much it had been frustrating Theo to not be able to perform the charm. Harry had promised to teach him after they'd gone to Sicily to convince Blaise and Draco to come back, but it hadn't actually happened until almost the end of November. Harry and Theo stayed back after Defence Club a few times to go over the charm. Theo had been struggling with it for almost two full months now and Harry was doing his best to help him. The Patronus Charm was not an easy charm to perform and it was why only half the students were able to do it successfully. Even those who could perform it couldn't always maintain it long enough for it to be useful. Harry tried to explain that to him, but Theo refused to listen. He was determined to learn the charm and Harry promised to do everything he could to make sure that he mastered it.

The thing was that Theo had the wand movement down and the incantation, but every time he started to make the mist, he would freeze before it could form. It was like he couldn't keep hold onto his happy memory. Or what Harry suspected was that the memory wasn't happy enough or he was too distracted by a sad memory that blurred the lines too much for him to focus entirely on the good parts.

"Theo, I told you, it's about the memory," Harry explained. "I can only lead you so far with this. You have to make sure you choose a memory that is truly happy. Something that you can concentrate on and hold onto tightly."

"I know," Theo said. "But those are harder to come by than you'd think."

"I know," Harry told him. He understood that better than anyone. Sometimes the bad just overpowered the good no matter how much one tried to remember the good. "But it's about happiness."

"I am happy!" Theo interrupted.

Harry put his hand on Theo's shoulder. "I didn't say you weren't. Theo, the memory is the hardest part because it's not simply happiness, but a moment where you felt truly happy, at peace, comfortable… a mix of it all in a way that can both calm you and protect you from the darkness."

Theo frowned. "How do I latch onto a memory like that? It always seems to slip away before I can focus. It's like I can't truly focus on it."

Harry took Theo's arm and led him over to the opposite end of Slytherin's Chamber where Hermione was sitting with a book open in her lap. She looked up at them in surprise.

"Am I in the way?" she asked. "I was just waiting for Ron to finish talking over there."

Harry shook his head. "No, you're fine. We're just going to work on Theo's Patronus."

Hermione gave Theo a sympathetic look. "It's a very difficult charm, Theo. It took me ages to grasp it."

Theo pulled his sword out of his scabbard. "I know. I just feel like I'm on the cusp of it and then it doesn't materialize."

Harry nodded. "All right. That means you're closer than you think, right?" When Theo only shrugged in response, he continued. "What makes you happy, Theo?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "Ginny makes me happy. Being with my friends makes me happy. Teasing you makes me happy. Snogging Bas makes me happy… I don't know."

Harry looked thoughtful as he rubbed his hand over his chin. "Okay, Ginny said that your date went amazing on the weekend, right?" At Theo's nod, he continued. "Anything about that amazing date that made you feel unbelievably happy?"

"All of it," Theo admitted, blushing. "I don't think that's going to help me here."

Harry figured that might be true. One date wasn't going to be enough. "Okay, what about if instead of a memory, you focus on a feeling instead?"

When Theo only stared at him in confusion, he pulled his own wand out. He focused on the conversation that he and Ginny had about their future in Somerset, about moving in together. That moment when he realized that he had something in his future to look forward to outside of a never ending war. He brandished his wand and three huge animals emerged in blinding silver. The stag stood proudly in front of Harry, it's antlers raised high as if he was waiting for a command. The dog ran in a circle around Theo while the wolf sat poised next to the stag, its head tilted as he seemed to watch the dog's playful nature.

"That will never stop being cool," Theo admitted.

Harry brandished his wand again and all three animals looked at him, waiting for his command. "The Patronus is part of you. It's not only the animal that chooses you, but what that animal represents to you as a person. It's a defining point in who you are; like a spirit animal. A totem if you will that symbolizes a very private part of you that only you can truly understand."

Theo nodded. "And you have three which is practically unheard of."

"Yes," Harry agreed, "but it's not that I have three that makes my Patronus powerful, it's the power of the memory I am using to propel it." At Theo's confused look, he elaborated. "The first memory I ever used wasn't even really a specific memory. It was a feeling. It was the feeling that I had when I realized that Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus had given me a home. That feeling of happiness and amazement and realizing that I was loved and that I could love them in return. It's not a specific moment. Do you understand?"

Theo nodded, wrinkling his nose. "It makes sense, but I still don't know if I have one of those."

Harry gestured for Theo to take out his sword. Then he stood behind him, holding his sword arm from behind as he carefully guided Theo's arm to make the movement needed.

"Happiness. Bliss. Love. Joy. Happiness. Bliss. Love. Joy."

Theo closed his eyes, his sword moving along with Harry's instructions. "Expecto Patronum!"

A jet of thin silver mist erupted before it faded.

"Again," Harry instructed. "Hold onto those feelings, Theo."

Harry stepped back to watch him, eyes on the way he had his eyes tightly shut as if he was concentrating with all of his might. Again, there was mist before it disappeared. A third time and then a fourth before finally the mist blossomed.

"That's it, Theo! That's great, keep it going!" Harry guided.

Ginny's arms slipped around his waist from behind just as Theo's mist exploded into a penguin. The small bird dove right through the air, its feet and wings flapping like it was swimming and the longer feathers on the top of its head seemed to blow in the wind.

"Thank you, Salazar!" Theo exclaimed, jumping up and down. "I did it! I bloody well did it!"

Ginny let go of Harry to throw her arms around Theo, making Theo grin hugely. "Oh my goodness! It's an adorable little penguin!"

Theo scrunched his nose before he narrowed his eyes at the bright silver bird waddling around him. "A penguin? Come on! Why can't I have something brilliantly scary and big like an erumpent or a dragon? A bloody penguin!"

Hermione, who was still reading off to the side, spoke out. "Actually, penguins are very intelligent creatures. They are extremely social and work best in group settings often coming up with group solutions to complex problems. They hunt in a group, herding the fish to the water's surface and this has been proven to be three times more efficient than simply hunting alone. They're sharp and often can predict where the fish are going to go and how they will get them there giving them a very strong sense of direction. It means they often return to the same nesting spot year after year even after travelling a large distance away. They distinctly recognize each other and mate for life, pinpointing their partner's voice in a crowd of hundreds of other penguins. And considering the one you cast as your Patronus has the long feathers flapping on the top of his head, that would make him a Macaroni Penguin. Macaroni Penguins hop as well as waddle, walk, and climb. They are known to hold their breath up to three minutes and can swim up to twenty-four kilometres an hour."

"And what does any of that have to do with me?" Theo asked, blinking at the sudden influx of information.

"Well, you are extremely social," Hermione replied. "You do work best in a group setting and you do prefer to swim over running."

"No one prefers to run over swimming," Theo said.

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look.

"Okay, except for you two weirdos who actually like running," Theo added. "But I'll admit, I am social."

"And you're always very sharply dressed," Harry added, making them all turn to look at him. "What? Penguins are like adorable birds in tuxedos. It fits!"

Theo's lips curved. "Your boyfriend's flirting with me."

"You wish," Harry said, making him chuckle.

Theo's eyes followed the penguin as it ran around them before he turned to hug Harry. "Thank you."

Harry patted his back as he returned the hug. "I knew you could do it. You just had to practice."

Theo smiled up at him. "Yeah, maybe, but you really helped."

Harry patted Theo's back once more before Theo watched his little penguin swim around in the air, a big grin on his face. He was glad to see that Theo had finally mastered the Patronus. It was a difficult charm to get and if anyone deserved to get it, it was Theo.

"Now you just have to keep practicing it. The more you do it, the stronger you'll get at performing it. Trust me, using it in front of Dementors is not easy."

"And for communication?" Theo asked.

"Once you can cast it seamlessly without any effort, then you can work on the communication aspect," Harry explained. "For now, just keep practicing."

"I will. Thanks, Harry. Hey, chick, are you free for a bit?"

"Not sure. Apparently we're going for a run?" Ginny said, looking over at Harry in question.

"Apparently," Harry said. "You in?"

"I am," Ginny said. "Luna took off before I could ask her so I'll find her first. What did you want to do tonight, Theo?"

Theo gave her a disgusted look. "Certainly not run. I'll leave that to you lot."

"In our Animagus forms," Ginny corrected.

"Still running. I'll pass," Theo said. "We just went over this. Running is not for me."

Ginny chuckled. "All right. Theo, did you decide what you're wearing on Friday?"

"My uniform as usual," Theo said. "I don't want him to think that I put too much thought into it."

Ginny winked. "Oh, no, never that."

"What's this now?" Harry asked.

"I'm having lunch with Sebastian after the Wizengamot session on Friday," Theo explained. "Unless the session is let out early, we only haven an hour. I'll be in my school uniform and my Wizengamot purple robe as usual. Well, I usually take the robe off, but still."

"He's taking you to lunch?"

"To start," Theo said. "We haven't talked about spending Saturday together again or anything but I'm hoping that he might want to."

"He'll want to," Ginny assured him.

Theo shrugged, biting his bottom lip. "We'll see."

Harry put his hand on Theo's shoulder. "Keep practicing your Patronus in the meantime."

Theo promised to do so before he followed Harry and Ginny upstairs. Theo bid them goodnight when they reached the second floor of the castle and turned to make his way down to the dungeons. Harry kissed Ginny's fingers.

"Did you catch Luna?"

"No," Ginny said. "She was the only one I didn't ask yet. She left Defence Club as soon as it ended."

"That doesn't seem like her," Harry said.

"I think Channing convinced her," Ginny admitted.

"Hmm, I still don't know if I like him."

"Have you ever even spoken to him?" Ginny asked.

"Well, no," Harry admitted. "But is he really good enough for her?"

Ginny's brown eyes were amused when they met his. "Isn't that for Luna to decide?"

Harry sighed. "No comment."

Ginny bit her lip as she shook her head in amusement. Ginny pulled out her mirror to call Luna and five minutes later they'd all made plans to meet outside by Hagrid's hut. Harry took his girlfriend's hand in his as they made their way outside of the castle and Ginny's hand slid down to squeeze his behind, making him scowl at her.

"No touching," he scolded.

Her lips curved. "Worried I'll make you lose?"

Harry bent his head to brush his lips across hers. "If I have to start this week over again because you made me lose this bet that I already lost, you'll pay for it, Weasley."

Ginny bit her bottom lip, her eyes twinkling before she raced him outside and into the darkness to meet their friends.

~ ASC ~

Harry woke up early the next morning, half groaning at the charm he had set himself. Despite his best efforts to convince her, Ginny had chosen her own bed after their run last night. With everything going on lately he had been slacking in his regular workout regiment and the run last night in his wolf form had only reminded him that he really wanted to get back into it. He thought today was the perfect day to do that not to mention the workout might help relieve the considerable sexual tension he was feeling. Sunday really couldn't come fast enough or as he was thinking, midnight on Saturday evening when he planned on having one hell of a wank.

He climbed out of bed and quietly dug through his wardrobe to pull out his Gryffindor sweats and hoodie. He found socks and his trainers before grabbing a toque and gloves and then he took it all with him into the bathroom to change. He took a minute to wash his face and clean his teeth, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his face. He kept shaping the dark hair on his face and chin but it seemed that other than a thick stubble, no beard wanted to grow on his face.

When he'd asked Remus about it, he'd chuckled and claimed that James hadn't been able to grow an actual beard until he'd been twenty. Harry figured he was okay with that. He rather liked the stubble. It made him look older, but not too much. He finished up and got dressed before he quietly snuck out of his dorm and transformed into his Animagus.

The Tamaskan ran up the stairs to the girls rooms before he slowly let himself into the sixth year dorm. He changed back into himself, tossing his invisibility cloak on before he crept into the room. Everyone was asleep, but he noticed that Romilda Vane's curtains were open. Harry moved around to Ginny's bed as quietly as possible beneath the cloak, slipping into her curtains and closing them behind him before he leaned into kiss her cheek.

She stirred but didn't wake so he chucked the cloak and kissed her other cheek, then her nose; soft kisses moving down her neck. She let out a sleepy moan before she opened one eye.

"What time is it?"

"Half past five."

Ginny scowled. "Go away."

He grinned and nipped at her mouth. "Nope, training time."

Ginny pouted. "No, sleepy time." She rolled over onto her side, snuggling back into her pillow

Harry tugged the pillow out from her head. "Meet me in the common room in ten minutes."

"I hate you."

He stole a kiss before he snuck back out to wait for her downstairs. She took fifteen, but he didn't mind. She was wearing black sweats with Gryffindor in red down the right leg and her Gryffindor Chaser hoodie. He noticed that she'd pulled her hair back into two French braids under her gold toque that said Gryffindor with a red pom and she had black gloves in one hand and her trainers in the other.

"Excellent," Harry said. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd gone back to sleep."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. "For the record, waking me up with an orgasm is much more agreeable than making me run."

"True, but once the adrenaline kicks in, you'll love it."

They walked quietly out of the common room and made their way outside towards the pitch in the early darkness of the January morning. The two of them took ten minutes to do slow stretches and Harry regretted asking her to come with him when he turned to see her holding her leg up by the ankle, giving him a lovely view of her arse.

Ginny rolled her shoulders back before stretching the other leg. "Okay, Captain, let's go."

They took off running around the pitch at a slow brisk pace, their breath visible in the cold January air. Harry wanted to do five kilometres, but he hadn't really done any running since the summer outside of the odd day here or there in training. He didn't want to push himself too far. He decided to try for three and see how they did, but Ginny seemed to already be having no problem.

He let his eyes fall down to her arse as she ran in front of him, admiring her form and the movement of her muscles while she ran. He wanted to reach out and grab her toned arse, hold it in his hands and squeeze. Colin had made a good point earlier and he had every intention of bringing it up again if his girlfriend didn't. There definitely had to be an article for best arses for the girls and he definitely needed Ginny to pose for a calendar. He knew his opinion was probably biased, but she definitely had the best arse he'd ever seen.

It was at that moment that Ginny looked behind her, an amused look on her face.

"Are you going to keep up with me, Potter or are you just going to stare at my arse?"

His lips curved. "Can't help if I'm distracted by something that fantastic."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'll race you."

"My legs are twice as long as yours."

Her eyes twinkled. "Scared?"

Before he could comment, she took off and he chased after her. He caught her around the waist just before she reached the end of the pitch and spun her around. Her eyes were blazing in laughter, but the laugh died when he bent his head to kiss her. She put her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to kiss him back.

Harry wasn't sure how long they stood there kissing, but when he finally stepped back, her eyes were dazed. "What do you think, one more lap before we wind down?"

Ginny nodded, moving out of his arms. "One more lap."

Then she took off running before he could say anything more. He hurried after her with a grin and thought this early morning run had been exactly what he needed in every way.

~ ASC ~

Theo stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, attempting to make his hair look artfully tousled. He knew that he was putting too much thought into it, but he swore that his hair was misbehaving on purpose. He let out a frustrated breath before he adjusted his tie, smoothing out the Slytherin tie and making sure it was perfectly aligned with his dress shirt. His green and silver striped suspenders were straight so he pulled his cardigan on, tying the buttons carefully before he added his black robes. He gave himself one more look in the mirror before he put chapstick on and snagged his Wizengamot robes from his wardrobe.

Sod it! His hair would have to do.

When he made it down into the Great Hall, he ate an apple to settle his stomach before he met Neville in the entrance way. Theo found himself only listening with half an ear as Neville prattled on about some plants or whatever he was working on in the greenhouses. They walked out across the bridge, past the wards and out the gate to Apparate to the Ministry of Magic before making their way through security and down to the Wizengamot chambers.

It seemed to Theo that the council looked fuller than usual today, but he gave Marchbanks his full attention when she stood up at the podium.

"As you know, the attack on Diagon Alley caused a lot of damage to many of the storefront properties. Proprietors and property owners are working to get things back in order so that they may continue to serve the magical community as they desire to do so. But it also means that we need to be vigilant about the possibility of another attack happening soon. We have the DMLE working tirelessly to increase patrols on our more prominent magical streets and villages, but we can only do so much without knowing what might be attacked next," Marchbanks explained.

She stared out across the council, her face grim.

"Our Ministry has already been attacked. Twice. Diagon Alley has been attacked. Hogwarts has been attacked. That's not including those of us who have lost family or friends to needless death. Voldemort means to cause chaos and to make us unravel and I will not bow down to him. I will not allow him to make a folly of the world I love. I know all of you agree with me on this. We spoke last week about how this all comes down to us finding a strong leader to help us keep that promise. We need a leader who won't let us bow to him. A leader who will say no and who will stand up for us; to guide us in the right direction. Amelia Bones was the woman for that job and her death left a void that we've all felt in the past months since her death. Finding someone to replace her has been a challenge and one I admit, we've lost. Himmler and Norton are both in the Azkaban Crypt now, serving time for their errors; being healed of the dark magic that crept into their souls while they were serving us. But now, it's high time we find someone to take their place."

Bill raised his wand. "Is there someone willing to lead us, Chief Witch?"

Marchbanks' sharp gaze met Bill's. "Someone has stepped forward, yes."

A wand rose in the air and Theo turned to see the tall, lean man in the pointed hat rise to his feet. "I've stepped forward."

Someone murmured 'about damn time' under their breath while a few others made sounds of agreement. The wizard was familiar to Theo, but he couldn't think of what his name was. He had short hair as dark as night with streaks of white peppered through it under the pointed hat. His long beard reached his collarbone and was almost completely silver. It made his eyes, a sharp violet, look that much sharper in his face.

"I have worked as a lawyer for twenty-five years and served as a loyal member of the International Confederation of Wizards for fifteen. I sat on the Crann Bethadh Cabinet as an ICW representative and I listened to Lord Black and Minister Bones discuss the changes that this community has needed to make," the wizard said. "I attended the Hogwarts Yule Ball as a guest to Albus Dumbledore and Professor Sinistra and to help offset a tournament to help foster the importance of community, of international magical cooperation, and of developing new friendships. Bones understood the value of that better than anyone and what she accomplished as Minister of Magic in her short term was incredible. A woman who truly understood what it meant to lead by example. A woman who understood the importance of not only making alliances but making friends. Acceptance starts with friendship and I for one am bloody tired of seeing the lines drawn in the sand."

Marchbanks smiled warmly. "Mr Jones, we would be honoured to see you throw your hat in the ring."

"Not just into the ring, Chief Witch," Mr Jones declared. "I'd like to propose Miranda Jameson to stand with me."

Jameson stood up, her eyes on Jones. "I would be honoured to serve with you, Jericho."

Theo raised his wand.

"Yes, Lord Norfolk?" Marchbanks said.

"I don't mean to make a nuisance of myself and no disrespect meant to either of you, but this is how Himmler and Norton began and we all know how that turned out."

Jones' kept his eyes on Theo. "Your caution is warranted and frankly a breath of fresh air. I loathe Lord Voldemort and everything he stands for. I know that might not mean much, coming from someone you don't know, but I think it explains a lot about what my platform might be. My mother was born in Dubai. Her family immigrated here to England when she was sixteen years old. Not only did she have to learn a new language, but she was forced to deal with a community who wouldn't accept the fact that she was not only foreign but half-Mermaid."

There was a gasp from someone in the room, but Jones ignored them.

"My grandmother was a mermaid and my grandfather fell in love with her as a young man. My mother was the only child from their union before my grandmother was executed for marrying a wizard," Jones said, bitterness in his voice. "When my father, the late Jonathan Jones married my mother, he was forced to do so in secret. They married in Denmark in a Muggle ceremony because no one would justify their union as legitimate. My mother was considered to be tainted or unclean because of her blood status. These despicable laws outlining who we can and cannot love are not just here in England, they are all over the world. We can't begin to change the world until we start with our communities and I for one, won't stand by and watch the little progress we have made be swept under the rug and buried for another century. I, Jericho Jones, want to help lead us into the new millennium on the wings of the change that Amelia Bones started. I think that I would be good at it and I know that with someone as honourable as Miranda Jameson by my side, we could be great at it. I just need a chance."

"We've never had someone with Mermish blood serve as minister," Lord Andrews declared, his eyes on Jones. "Does the ICW know your grandmother was a mermaid, Jericho?"

Jones snorted. "I can hold my breath a little longer than normal, Benjamin. I don't have a tail or scales. Ask my wife."

There was some chuckling at that before Jameson stood up.

"I've worked with Jericho for years and I not only think it's high time he stands up for himself, but I can think of no one better to lead us through this. I would be honoured to work with him and even more honoured to do so leading my community."

Marchbanks cleared her throat. "We will do this formally," she began. "A vote here followed by a public election. If there is anyone else who would like to be considered, I suggest you call forth yourself now."

Two other wizards stood up, but they weren't met with much enthusiasm. The only other name that warranted interest came from Kingsley Shacklebolt. But the Auror didn't nominate himself, nor was he even present for the nomination. Theo thought Shacklebolt would do well in charge, but he had a feeling that the Auror considered himself not only too young for it but that he didn't have enough interest in politics to take it on.

Seventy percent of the Wizengamot voted for Jones and Marchbanks declared an election would be set forth the following week for the public to vote upon a new leader. When Marchbanks ended the session, Theo turned to look at the Weasleys.

"What do you think?"

"Jameson is an incredibly brilliant and talented witch," Percy replied. "There's no one better in my opinion. She supports change and takes the time to listen to new ideas. I thought that she would be great from the beginning."

Bill nodded. "I've worked with Jericho Jones a few times over the years. He specializes in international law and is often one of the lawyers that Gringotts deals with. I've always considered him fair and just."

Neville frowned. "He looks familiar."

"He was at the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Theo said. "He mentioned being present at the Yule Ball in his speech. It's the only place I think I know him from outside of the council, of course."

"He's married to the Astronomy professor, Sinistra," Bill said.

Theo's eyebrow rose. "Sinistra's married!"

Bill chuckled. "Yes. Twenty-five years I believe Jones said. She decided to keep her maiden name to teach, but legally her name is Aurora Sinistra-Jones."

"Any relation to Megan Jones?" Neville asked. "She's in our year."

"Daughter," Bill said. "And they have two sons as well, both older. I don't recall their names."

Theo shook his head in amazement. "How did I never know this?"

"She's a Hufflepuff," Neville said, shrugging. "I'm sure most of them are aware that's her mother."

Theo figured Neville was probably right, but he still find it mind boggling. "That makes sense as to why Jones was there at the Yule Ball. So, we're thinking Jones and Jameson would be a good fit then?"

"What do you think, Theo?" Bill asked. "You were one of the stronger voices against the choosing of Himmler and Norton."

Theo shrugged. "I just didn't understand why no one else seemed interested. Did you notice this time there were a lot more interested parties and people giving names? No one did that before."

Bill lowered his voice. "I think your friend Tiernan was right. There are more compromised people here than we think, but Jones and Jameson are good people and I trust them to lead us in the right direction. Like Percy said, Miranda Jameson takes the time to listen to people and I can't imagine someone better than that in power."

"Me too," Neville said. "When Jones mentioned the CBC and helping foster the ideas that Bones had… he wants to lead the country somewhere good; to follow the example that Bones put forth. I don't think we can ask for anything better than that."

"It's pretty cool that his grandmother was a mermaid," Theo added.

"And I think it's that bit of diversity that's going to help us foster real change," Bill said. "My vote is with Jericho."

Percy made a sound of agreement. "Especially with Jameson by his side."

"Perce, I adore you, but a little less arse kissing would do you a world of good," Bill said.

Percy looked scandalized as his cheeks flushed. "Bill! I'd expect that from Fred or George, but not from you!"

Bill shrugged. "Consider it big brother advice."

Percy glared at him instead before he stomped off.

Theo chuckled. "Your family fascinates me."

Bill's lips curved. "Happy to fascinate. I have to head back to the bank. See you two next week."

They said goodbye before they headed out of the chamber, Theo taking a moment to fuss with his hair again. Neville told Theo he'd meet him at Hogwarts and when Theo stepped into the hall, his eyes immediately peeled for Sebastian. His shoulders slumped in disappointment when he didn't see him.

He started to make his way to the lifts, wondering if maybe he'd been wrong and they hadn't agreed to meet today when the familiar deep voice called his name. He turned to see Sebastian coming out of the stairwell.

"Sorry, I'm late," Sebastian said. "One of my interrogations ran over."

"It's all right," Theo told him. "I was just wondering if I'd misread something or —"

"—No," Sebastian growled. "I definitely want to take you to lunch."

"Is that why there's no cappuccino in your hands?"

"I didn't have time to stop," Sebastian told him.

Theo nodded before Sebastian took his hand and tugged him into a deserted hallway next to the staircase.

"What happened to lunch?"

"In a minute," Sebastian said, framing Theo's face with his hands. "I'd like to kiss you first."

Theo had no problem with that. The moment those lips brushed his, he trembled. It amazed him that anyone could make him feel so much with one kiss, but kissing Sebastian was like breathing. He stood on his toes to deepen the kiss and Sebastian's hands slid down his arms as his mouth met his again and again. Then with one final brush of lips, he stepped back.

"Hi, Theo."

Theo's lips curved. "Hi, Bas."

Sebastian held his hand out. "Lunch?"

When they walked through the Ministry holding hands, Theo couldn't stop himself from grinning like a fool. Sebastian Kane made him smile and he was going to enjoy every second of it.

~ ASC ~

Remus stood in the Headmistresses office looking around at the little changes she'd made. She'd kept a lot of Dumbledore's knickknacks, but the little platform where Fawkes' cage had once been now had a huge pillow where Nyx lounged comfortably, licking her huge paws. His eyes fell on the portrait of Dumbledore. He had remained with his eyes stubbornly closed for months now and Remus was beginning to wonder why it was the wizard had yet to make a real appearance. Unfortunately, McGonagall didn't have an answer to that either.

"Thanks for coming, Remus," McGonagall said, gesturing for him to take a seat.

"Of course," Remus said as he sat down.

McGonagall folded her hands in front of her. "I want to discuss Hogsmeade."

Remus nodded. He had been wondering the same thing. "I've been worried as well. With the attack on Diagon Alley, many parents are concerned with allowing their kids to go to the village."

"Exactly," McGonagall said. "But banning students from going altogether isn't going to go well either."

"This is true. But it is about safety," Remus said. "The other option is to speak to the DMLE about increasing security within the village on designated visits, but we already have a strong Auror presence there."

McGonagall's mouth thinned. "Increasing security isn't going to help or hinder us. Either way if Voldemort decides to attack… I don't want students to not be able to live their lives, Remus, but safety is a priority."

Remus scratched his chin. He agreed with her on that. He knew that she was having the same trouble coming to a decision that he was. Ideally, banning all Hogsmeade visits was the best course of action, but he also knew that would mean many students would sneak out. Letting them go with more protection still had risk, but it would probably cause the least headaches and appease the most parents and students. The safety and well being of all who attended was vital, but also appeasing the masses had to take precedent.

"Sixth and seventh year students attend any weekend they like as it is," McGonagall continued. "It's part of the freedom given to them once they reach the age of sixteen. If we stop that, it could make the actual visits even more congested and busy. With the way things are going, I don't want to stop the students, but I also want to keep them safe."

"I know. It is a conundrum," Remus said. "But we need to make a decision. The next Hogsmeade weekend is next Saturday and honestly, I think that we should allow students to go. We can stress the importance of being safe and… I don't know what else to do. I do agree that outright banning them is not going to do us any favours."

McGonagall frowned. "I agree on that front." She tapped her fingers on her desk for a moment. "All right. We'll keep the visit for now and unless something changes we can approach each new visit as necessary."

Remus agreed with her assessment. They spent the next twenty minutes going over school necessities and duties and when McGonagall dismissed him, he headed back to his suite wondering if they'd made the right decision. He found his wife sprawled out on the sofa, a bowl of crisps sitting on her belly and he chuckled.

"Don't laugh," Tonks said. "But this works as a great little table!"

Remus bent down to kiss her forehead. "You're adorable, Nymphadora."

"Crisp?"

He opened his mouth to accept the crisp she offered him with a smile. "You finished early today?"

Tonks nodded, biting back a yawn. "I did. We finished up the end of the interviews on everyone from the raid. Higgins helped me file everything and put things together. Atwell, Savage, Proudfoot, and Baxter were organizing a team to comb over the castle and try to find the bodies that have been buried there. K sent me home. Said I needed to rest. He's such a good work husband."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Stop calling him your husband."

"Jealous?" she teased. "He is really fit. His abs are like rock hard and he always smells really good."

Remus lifted her legs to sit on the chesterfield and pinched her hip. "Are you saying that I don't always smell good and my abs are not rock hard?"

Tonks carefully sat up, rocking a bit to do so before she slid her hands down her husband's chest to untuck his shirt. She pulled it up, dancing her fingers along his flat stomach and up through the soft sprinkle of hair. "Mmm, feels toned to me. Lean and sexy, but you don't have rock hard defined abs."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Neither do you."

Tonks pouted. "I used to! Okay, fine it was more like four, but I was fit before I started carrying around your spawn!"

Remus tugged her up into his lap. "I still think that you're the sexiest woman I've ever lied eyes on."

"Okay fine, you smell really good as well," she relented.

He smiled. "I do like that Kane watches out for you."

"He's a softie," Tonks said. "Not that he would ever admit it. And he is very, very gay. He had a date with Theodore Nott on the weekend."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "How did that go?"

"He says good, but he wouldn't tell me anything else!" Tonks complained. "Not even one tiny detail! He's a crappy husband."

Remus chuckled. "So, I win by default?"

She nuzzled into his neck. "No, you always win, you know that."

He kissed her forehead before his eyes sobered. "What does K think about the chance of Voldemort attacking another village?"

Tonks shrugged. "About the same as the rest of us. The MIA are positive that the other shopkeepers who are refusing to follow through could be at risk, but it's been almost three weeks since the attack on Diagon Alley."

"I know," he said. "But Minerva and I were just discussing it. We were wondering whether we needed to worry about sending the students to Hogsmeade or not."

"I think everything we do has worry. I don't know if there's really anywhere that's safe right now," Tonks admitted. "We don't know what his plans are; what his next move will be. Us raiding Crouch's castle definitely threw a Bludger in his line of fire, but he's still planning something."

"I just don't want to send the students out there and then something happens… I would be responsible," Remus said.

Tonks kissed his cheek. "If you send them and something happens, it happens. If you don't send them and nothing happens… either way it's going to be a problem."

"I don't like the uncertainty of it," Remus admitted. "And I hate that everything is full of uncertainty lately. He's plotting something and the fact that he made such a prominent taunt at Harry before Christmas has been eating at me. He's going to attack Hogwarts, Nymphadora."

She nodded. "He'll try. Harry has been training his own little army of students. He has the coin to call forth the Defence Unit when necessary which includes Order members and Aurors. He won't get to Harry."

"It's not just Harry," Remus said. "He wants the castle itself. He wants the power it represents. Dumbledore knew that and he said it was one of the many reasons why he wouldn't let him take over the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. It was why he cursed it."

Tonks reached for her husband's hand. "You broke the curse."

"I have no idea how," he admitted.

"Hmm, you don't think that strong stubborn head of yours had anything to do with it?"

Remus gave her a sheepish look. "Being stubborn isn't what broke the curse, Dora."

"No," Tonks said. "Probably not, but the things is, you have been tricked into quitting. Technically, taking the job in the middle of the school year changed tactics on the whole for you. So, by the time you hit one full year as a teacher, that's when things started to go wrong, remember?"

Remus frowned. "So, what, you think me being outed as werewolf and Bellatrix and Peter showing up at the school was part of the curse trying to knock me out of the school?"

Tonks shrugged. "It worked. You quit. You were arrested. Then you were re-hired for a second year."

Remus stared at her. "Being re-hired broke the curse?"

"Look, we don't actually know if there was a real curse on the job, Rem."

"Well, it certainly was a string of bad luck for most of my predecessors."

"And now look at you, Deputy Headmaster and still holding onto the job," Tonks bragged. "Lucky man."

Remus bent his head to kiss her. "Anyway, before you dragged me off track. I was saying that Voldemort is going to attack Hogwarts at some point and whether he hits the village of Hogsmeade first or not is something to consider."

"K is thinking he'll go after Apricity Lane next," Tonks said. "It's the second most popular street in wizarding Britain not to mention it has the most high class shops. Apricity Lane has been pretty divided on the blood purity bit. Half are submitting and half are refusing. Diagon Alley only had a few."

"But Diagon Alley is more popular and more affordable for most people," Remus finished. "So he chose the place where the most injuries could be."

"Exactly," Tonks said. "He's not done yet, Remus, but tracking his movements… until he decides, we're left in the dark."

Remus wrapped his arms around her, cradling her head against his heart. He knew that she was right. He'd been saying as much to Harry for months now, but he knew his son was getting just as frustrated as felt, if not more so. Sitting around and waiting for the other shoe to drop was the hardest thing they could do. Even with the success of this raid, it had only left Aurors and the MIA with more questions than answers. They were still in the dark about his plans, his ideas.

How were they supposed to bring an end to a war that kept them in the dark?

How were they supposed to find solace in that?

It was time for the darkness to end, Remus thought. He kissed his wife on the top of her head and thought it was high time for someone to turn on the damn light.