A/N: OK, so if you'd thought I'd abandoned this, you were wrong. I'm back, at least sporadically. Just don't expect regular updates. I had most of this chapter already written, so it was easy enough to finish. I've added in some HPB stuff, which actually helps the plot. We'll see where it goes. .
Remus Lupin was pulled out of an uneasy sleep by the familiar crack of Apparating. He looked at the clock on the wall. Whomever was here was early. It was probably Hermione. It was always Hermione, though those few moments between the tell-tale crack and the door opening always worried him. No one knew where they were, no one could know, but that was always his fear. So he sat, tense, for a few moments.
The door swung open and Hermione's familiar face, once so full of joy and laughter, appeared. Her short black hair always startled him a little. When Remus had met this girl, she had been only thirteen years old, so full of promise. In the last five years, she had seen so much pain, lost so much that was close too her, but still she lived. Really lived, not just as the shell of a person Remus himself had been when he had been down that road, so long ago.
"Did I wake you?" Hermione asked. "I know I'm early, and it was a full moon night before last. Go back to sleep; the others won't be here in a while."
"No, I'm awake now. You'll want get through more of Dumbledore's journals, won't you?"
"In a minute or two," she replied. She was looking at a wall of framed photographs and walked over to it. Most of these had been pictures she and Ginny had hung, to remind them all of happier times. Most people didn't like to look at them. Charlie in particular wouldn't look directly at the pictures of his parents and brothers. But they brought Hermione some comfort.
Her favorite was one of the newest, taken in the summer before their sixth year. It was of the five of them, Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and herself. They were so full of laughter, youth. Harry and Neville had just turned sixteen. It was still difficult for Hermione to accept that less than a year after that picture was taken, Neville was missing, Ron had died in battle, and Harry had been murdered in his sleep, right under the noses of the Order. It had been one of their own, under the Imperious Curse. He slit Harry's throat in the dead of night. He didn't even have the chance to scream.
Remus had come up behind her, put a hand on her shoulder. He too looked at a picture on that wall, the photo of James and Lily Potter's wedding. He never looked at it for long because it hurt, but it was a good reminder for them. There had been joy in the world, not so very long ago. The sun had been bright and the stars had illuminated the night. It was a good thing to remember.
There was another crack from outside. The meeting would start soon, so Hermione settled in one of the chairs and opened Dumbledore's diary. She wished she could take it with her, but it was agreed that it wasn't safe. It wasn't a magical diary like Riddle's, and it didn't work like a Penseive did, but it was more useful than anyone knew. Hermione had found it while going through stacks of books they were holding for safekeeping. Dumbledore had started keeping it when he graduated school, writing, "I'll never know who might want to peruse my thoughts in the future. May they be of use to someone, because they seem to be of little use to me." The writing was often in the beginning, but became more and more organized as decades passed. Hermione had nearly reached the ere that would be of use to them- she was only a year away from the point where the prophecy was spoken. She had to get there, but refused to simply skip ahead.
Charlie was the next person to arrive, which made Hermione look up briefly, only the faintest glimmer of concern in her expression. Charlie noticed, and said, "Ginny's coming. She needed to do something and told me to go on ahead." Hermione nodded and got back to the diary.
Ginny did arrive, and so did the others, the fragments of the Order that had once been a powerful force. Most of them were really too young, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen, some younger: the few among the oldest Hogwarts students to survive. In total, there were maybe twelve of them, twelve people left fighting the Dark Lord and his allies. It wasn't that there were only twelve left on the side of good; no, most would fight if they thought they could. They were simply too scared. They were left alone if they went along with the way things were, didn't make waves. Sometimes, the members of the Order didn't blame them, but they couldn't go back now.
Remus lead the meetings. He had been in the original Order, had been teaching at Hogwarts when Voldemort finally attacked. Charlie Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, and Mundugus Fletcher were the only ones left. Ginny and Hermione, along with Dean Thomas, Dennis Creevey, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, and Justin Flinch-Fletchly had been in Dumbledore's Army. Orla Quirke, only fourteen, hadn't been in the DA, had been too young to go to the first meeting in the Hog's Head, but when the school had been destroyed, she sought them out after her family was killed, and was a great help to them because she wasn't likely to raise much suspicion.
Remus looked around the room after Tonks had arrived, counting in his head. "Someone isn't here," he said, concern growing on his face. "Dean Thomas isn't here. Has anyone heard from him?" Everyone shook their heads. Hermione looked up from the diary, looking to see if anyone had news. No one responded, so she turned back to the diary.
"I'll try to contact him tonight," Justin said.
"Good," said Remus. "Tonks, have any names been added to the list?"
"Yes, just before I left. That's why I was late. I have the address, right in London. I hope we aren't too late, it's close to the Ministry building. I might need help, but I can get him and his family somewhere safe tonight and then on a plane tomorrow morning, if someone can make the arrangements."
"I can get plane tickets to Boston, so they can get to Salem," said Susan Bones. "I know who to go through. How many?"
"I think four," said Tonks. "I'll get you the information tonight."
"If we can get Muggle-born kids out of the country so easily, why can't we just get out ourselves?" Mudugus asked. "The Lovegoods did, and so did Draco Malfoy. It would be easy."
"But would it be right?" Ginny asked. "We can't just leave because its hard. We have to put up a fight. Too many people have sacrificed too much for us to give up now. There has to be a way to end this, and I won't leave until we find it."
Remus watched her get angry, as she did every time Dung asked to leave. "That doesn't mean you can't leave. You can get out secretly enough. Your right, many did it. The Lovegoods have proved a valuable ally in the United States. Draco Malfoy left for his own reasons, and we didn't try to stop him. But I won't go, even if everyone leaves. Ginny is right, too many have died for us to give up now."
Mudugus didn't say anything. They went through this every time they met, at it was always the same. He would always ask, but he would never leave. He would always help Tonks get Muggle-borns who popped up on the old Hogwarts list out of Britain. Voldemort had his own list, not quite as fast as the one that was in now in Tonks' possession, but still, sometimes he got there first.
The meeting was short; the Order didn't like to stay together for too long, in case they were found. People said goodbyes carefully, knowing in the back of their mind, one of them might not return. Ginny hugged her brother; Remus kissed Tonks softly before she left. Hermione stayed in her chair, carefully reading every word of Dumbledore's last journal. Ginny hadn't left yet, so Remus left the room quietly.
Ginny, cat-like, came up behind Hermione, began playing with her hair. "Can't you let it turn back to brown, to grow out, just for a little while," she whispered. "I miss having something to catch my fingers in."
"You know it's too dangerous. And you're hair is more recognizable then mine. You should change it too." Ginny's hands found their way to Hermione's shoulders, then began to work down her back under her robe. Hermione smiled, but pulled away. "Not now, love. I have to finish this, only a few days away from the night at the Hog's Head."
"Can't you take a little break? I have to get home, and I want to check on the plans."
"I want to finish this." She smiled, and her voice got quieter. "Besides, Remus is in the next room."
"Fine. When will I see you again?"
"I'll get in touch with you. Maybe not until the next meeting. Hopefully sooner." Ginny kissed Hermione softly, and disappeared with a crack. Hermione returned to her book.
Remus walked in, a few moments later. "Getting anywhere?" he asked.
"Not yet. I mean, its fascinating to read about all Dumbledore's plans for protecting the school and thwarting attacks, but we don't have the resources to implement them. I want to read the words of the prophecy, see if there's something we may have missed."
Remus sat in the chair opposite Hermione. "What if the prophecy doesn't mean anything anymore? A lot of times they only happen when their subjects find out about them. Harry didn't die at Voldemort's hands though. That should mean we can kill Voldemort."
Hermione shook her head. "I need to find the last Horcrux, though. Only Harry figured out how to destroy it. Dumbledore knew, too, but I don't know when he found out. I want to get through this first."
"Alright. Stay as long as you want. I think there might be something to eat in the kitchen, though it isn't much." He yawned, and smiled. "I need to get some sleep. There's work to do tomorrow."
"Thanks, Remus. I'll put the books back when I finish."
She turned the page, reading more and more of what had happened in the first age of Voldemort. It was so much different then. It may have been bad, but the people still had hope. They still had leaders they could cling to, the Order had some power. There was still Hogwarts, safe haven. Now, what was there?
Red hair and blue eyes found their way into her mind. That's what there was, she thought. She smiled. Dumbledore knew what he was talking about when he put his faith in love. It may not be enough to save us all, she thought, but it's enough to keep us sane while we're here. She closed the book. That was enough for tonight. She might come back in the morning, if it was safe. Maybe get Ginny to come with her.