It seemed that Luna was just the start. The start. The start of children disappearing. Children. Sure, adults had been disappearing since the start of this while mess. Since last year and the year before, in fact. But not children. The Death Eaters had discovered that they could very effectively use children as a way to keep the parents in line. And if the parents called their bluff, well, the child just disappeared. There were at least half a dozen reports that had got through to the Order and probably more to come. The Death Eaters didn't exactly stop using things that worked, after all.

Remus sighed. And there he was, thinking how things could possibly get worse. He should have known better to even think about it. Voldemort always found a way to make thing worse. He should know that by now. Optimism got you absolutely nowhere in a war. Actually, it got you worse than nowhere because it usually got you killed. And he didn't want to die. He didn't. He had things to live for. People to live for. He didn't want to throw all of that away even if things weren't looking very bright right now.

On that note, he probably should stop even thinking of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's actual name. Just in case he was tempted to say it out loud and that wouldn't be good for anyone. He shuddered at the thought of calling Snatchers to this house. Or anyone's house really. That definitely wouldn't be good hospitality.

He couldn't help but snort at that. Snatchers and hospitality. Really? That's where his mind went? Life was seriously getting to him these days if that was the best he could come up with.

"Kingsley said another kid's gone missing," Dora said, coming into the room. "Fred and George told him."

"Kidnapped?" Remus asked heavily.

That shouldn't even be something he had to ask but here they were.

Dora shook her head. "Muggleborn. He ran away, for his family's protection."

Remus sighed. Of course. This wasn't the first muggleborn who had decided to do that a certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Who is it this time?" He asked.

"Dean Thomas. Apparently, he's seventeen."

Remus stilled at that name. Dean Thomas. Dean Thomas. That was Harry's friend. In Gryffindor with him. Harry's friend. He was on the run?

Dora was giving him an odd look. "Do you know him?"

"I taught him." Remus said quietly, struggling to come to terms with this.

Somehow, Dean running was hitting him harder than any other of the Muggleborns who had had to run.

"Oh."

He was thankful that Dora didn't try to placate him with meaningless platitudes or anything like that. Because they wouldn't have worked. Instead, the two of them just sat there together but alone with their thoughts.

He didn't know what she was thinking but he was thinking of just how bad things were getting. And the fact that it was probably going to get worse. Far worse. And they had to be prepared for that. For more injuries. More disappearances. More twisted laws. More deaths. They were going to have to get smarter. Safer.

Speaking of safer...

"We should seriously consider going into hiding, Dora," Remus said heavily.

"Properly?" She asked with a frown. "Fidelius Charm and everything?"

He nodded, not knowing what else to say. There was nothing else to say. They knew this day would come. Had done since September. They had actually lasted a lot longer than Remus had expected, put in the open.

Not that they were exactly out in the open or anything, just avoiding people and laying low. Basically, acting like they were in hiding. But the Fidelius Charm was different. It would make things different. But it was time.

Dora sighed heavily and ran a hand over her stomach. Her now fairly obvious stomach. It was a very neat bump. Still small but it was definitely there now. And it made her look amazing. He didn't remember Lily or Alice looking this good when they were pregnant. He had noticed that she touched her stomach every time she was scared or worried now, like she was trying to reassure the baby that it was going to be okay no matter what happened.

"When?" She asked finally.

Remus wasn't surprised that there were no questions or complaints. They had basically discussed this very scenario in the past. But with the hopeful air of not having to do it. Well, now they had to do it.

"As soon as we can manage it."

Because they could manage it now. There had been changes to the Fidelius Charm since Lily and James had used it. Hell, even since the Order had used it on Grimmauld Place. It was still a complicated charm, of course it was. But now there were a few shortcuts. It weakened it slightly but only if you knew about it. And he wasn't planning on letting anyone else know about it.

Dora nodded sharply, a serious look settling on her face.

"Mum's staying here," she said resolutely.

"We can't force her."

Though Remus would very much prefer that Andromeda stayed. He had lost quite brought family, thank you very much. He wanted what he had left to be kept close. But that didn't mean that they could make her stay where she didn't want to and she might not want to stay here.

"We'll see about that," Dora said with a stubborn twist to her mouth.

Remus had to bite the inside of his cheek so he didn't smile. He knew that it wouldn't be the best time to mention it but she looked exactly like her mother right now.

"See about what?" Andromeda asked, coming into the room.

Remus tried to sidle out before either woman could say anything more. He certainly didn't want to be present when the inevitable argument happened.

"About you staying here if we're going to go into hiding." Dora explained.

Andromeda stared at them. "You're going into hiding."

"It's looking like that's the best idea," Remus said. "We pretty much are already but there's other measures we can add to make it more official."

Andromeda nodded at that. "I suppose it makes sense, considering."

"And we want you to join us," Dora interjected.

"Don't be ridiculous, Nymphadora," Andromeda dismissed almost instantly. "You don't want to love with your mother as a married couple."

"Of course, we do," she insisted.

"I'll will be perfectly fine in my own home."

"But it will be better if were all together. Safety in numbers!"

"Safety all spread out," Andromeda retorted. "That way there's fewer people in one location."

Which was a horrible thing to have to think. Though, both were good points.

"Remus, back me up here!" Dora insisted.

Both women turned to him and he gulped. The Black genes were really showing through now or maybe he was just naturally terrified of these two women. Either way, he really, really didn't want to get involved. Even if he did agree with his wife.

"I'm going to go get some hot chocolate," he tried to dismiss himself.

"Remus!" Both women shouted after him as he made his escape.