"Lulu?"

"Out here!"

"I'm escaping…" Bill emerged into the garden, where Lulu and Hermione were avoiding the chaos of the Romanian evacuation. "Do you want to come to the pub?"

"Definitely." Lulu scrambled up from the grass, where she had been expounding about Fauré to a wide-eyed Hermione. "Do they not need you in there?"

"You're joking. I'm supposed to have been running interference between Reprezentant and the Ministry all morning, but I'm worse than useless, not speaking the language. The best I can do is talk reassuringly to Blander, smile reassuringly at the Ambassador, and pray to God that Emily gets here soon. Which she has. And she says she'll be fine, so let's go!"

"Fine by me. It sounds horrendous in there."

"It is. Absolutely. At least the twins have disappeared, though, and Ron etcetera have tactfully made themselves scarce…"

"They're playing quidditch," filled in Hermione.

"Surprise surprise. But Percy's bustling about, and Mum…Emily'll sort it though. She didn't even look fazed."

"She'll be fine. But let's go, Bill, before we get dragged into the whole imbroglio."

"That sounds like a plan." He raised an eyebrow at Hermione. "Coming?"

"If that's ok…"

"Of course."

"Great! Erm… my bag's just upstairs…"

"Oh no." He took a firm grip of her arm. "You're not going in there. Mum will ambush you and try to get you to help, whilst Emily frantically tries to stop her – too many cooks, you know – but has to surrender because Mum is unstoppable. And you'll spend the afternoon frustrated and bored and end up on the verge of exploding, whereas if you'd just exercise a little caution we three could spend a happy hour or two away from the whole sorry affair. Now make the right choice here…"

She had to laugh. "Ok, what do you suggest?"

"I'll Apparate up if it's important. What do you actually need?"

"Just some money."

"I'll get it. I'm paying, though."

With a couple of loud cracks he disappeared and then returned, handing over her little rucksack with a flourish.

"Shall we go, ladies?"

"What a wonderful idea."

And it was wonderful. Bill and Lulu were obviously great friends, but Hermione's fear that she would be intruding was soon dispelled as it became clear that both of them took her presence as a matter of course, and a fortunate one at that. They had a good lunch, and talked companiably about everything but the war. Too good to last, of course. Although none of them had really expected the couple of hours that Bill had optimistically promised, the appearance inside The Happy Otter of a harassed-looking Charlie still elicited a chorus of quiet groans. Bill recovered the quickest and philosophically waved him over.

"Over here, you blasted harbinger of doom. What is it?"

"The Ministry's kicking up a fuss."

Bill buried his head in his hands.

"I know," continued Charlie, looking sympathetic. "But we need you, mate. Percy's too furious to deal with it, and poor Blander looks like he's going to burst into tears."

"Oh God, I'd better come, then." He stood and slung on his jacket. "How's Emily?"

"Oh, you know, Emily."

"Then there's hope for us all. See you two later, ok?" He nodded to the girls, then Disapparated, Charlie following a few seconds after.

Lulu sighed. "Happens every bloody time. Should we head back, too?"

Hermione grimaced. "I suppose so."

Lulu headed over to the bar, where, Hermione realised, she was paying for their meal. As she came back, Hermione scrabbled in her bag to find her purse.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing."

"No, really."

"Really, nothing. Bill squared it when we arrived – I thought so, but it's as well to check." At Hermione's expression, she gave an almost tired laugh. "I know, I know. I've stopped arguing because it's a waste of the little time he's ever got. He left you a note, though."

Hermione, surprised, took the proffered scribble.

Hermione,

Lu's a musician, you're still at school, and I'm a jammy banker. Let me assuage my conscience, eh?

Bill

It was impossible not to laugh.

When Hermione and Lulu arrived back at The Burrow, only Charlie, Mundungus, Harry, Ginny and the still-green Ron were there. Charlie explained.

"There's been the most almighty mix-up with the Romanians. Everyone's at the Ministry trying to sort it out. Good luck to them."

Lulu looked puzzled. "Why are you still here?"

"Awaiting instructions. From the Ministry, Dumbledore, Romania, whoever cares to give them… It's a bloody mess, it really is."

"I'm sorry, Charlie."

"Oh, never mind. I'm better off here really, but I feel awful just leaving Em – Bill, as well. Everything seems to land on him, poor blighter."

"I know. But don't worry about Emily, she'll be fine. She'll be in her element."

Charlie looked noticeably more cheerful. "Taking a perverse enjoyment in Wackford's incompetence, probably."

"Almost definitely, I should say."

Ron could contain himself no longer. "Do you two realise that we've got no idea what you're talking about?"

"Sorry, mate," said Charlie, at once conciliatory. "Wackford's the bloke in charge of coordinating the foreign Aurors. Total idiot. I hate the man, I really do, but unfortunately everything has to go through him."

"It wasn't him here this morning, was it?" asked Harry.

"God, no. That was Blander. He works in the same Department, but he's got a bit of sense. Friend of Bill's. He was helping us to get things done quietly before Milliard found out. Tactfully inform him after the fact, you know, so that he couldn't interfere…someone put paid to that, though. When I find out who let it slip I swear I'll let Fred and George loose on them."

Ron looked ready to explode. Any mention of the twins, who had not yet found an antidote to his green-ness and actually found this funny rather than disastrous, enraged him. Anxious not to provoke him further, Hermione stifled her giggle and noticed Harry do the same. Ginny just rolled her eyes.

Lulu was still worriedly watching Charlie, and seemed torn between trying to say something comforting and changing the subject. Surprisingly, though, it was Mundungus who was first to speak.

"Wouldn't worry 'bout that. Plenty better things to worry about, eh?"

"I suppose so," agreed Charlie, strangely looking comforted by the reminder. "Talking of the more important things, shouldn't you be off, 'Dung?"

Mundungus just grunted and Disapparated in a cloud of his pungent tobacco smoke.

"Where's he gone?" asked Ginny innocently.

"Out."

Late that night, Mrs Weasley had returned, fussed over them a little, and then gone out again on Order business. Charlie was still sitting by the fireplace drinking endless cups of strong coffee, and Lulu was silently watching him. Harry and Ron had tried and failed to get going on some homework and Ginny was curled up on an armchair, looking half-asleep but in fact tense and edgy. Hermione had long ago cast aside Arithmancy of the Ancients, unnerved by the expectant atmosphere.

It was Lulu who finally broke the silence. "There's something else, isn't there Charlie? Don't tell me they're all still at the Ministry – it wasn't that important."

"It was important. But you're right, there is something else. They should be back by now. Someone should be back."

Another silence.

Lulu tried again. "What are they doing?"

"They weren't supposed to be doing anything – just helping set it up. The Aurors were meant to do the rest – that's why the Romanians left today – they were providing backup. We've been planning this for a week, ever since Dad did the recce with Snape and Lupin."

Harry started to say something, but was silenced by Lulu's quick gesture.

Charlie continued. "We found a house that the Death Eaters were using, that's what all this is about, but the operation wasn't planned for tonight. I don't know what the hell's happening…" He fell into a morose silence that was all the more alarming because Charlie had thus far managed to stay cheerful through everything. He never got worried, never.

Lulu was anxiously chewing her lip and glancing uncertainly at the younger ones, obviously unsure what to do with them. Harry had suddenly gone very white, and Ron…well, it was impossible to tell. Hermione felt like she was floating. She wasn't worried, although she knew she should be absolutely terrified. She surmised that the situation had not yet sunk in for her, and was dreading the moment when it did.

Luckily, the moment never came.

"Charlie?" The voice was Arthur Weasley's, and it prompted his children to jump straight up and run out of the room towards it.

Harry and Hermione heard with relief the exchange at the door.

"Dad, what…"

"It's fine, everything's fine – I'm so sorry we're late. You must have been…"

"It doesn't matter. What happened? Oh, never mind, come in and sit down, first. Is everyone…oh, here they are. We're all through here." Charlie re-entered smiling, followed by a troop of tired-looking Weasleys plus Emily, refreshed as ever. Bill was gazing at her incredulously, and Percy visibly simmered with pure envy.

All collapsed readily into chairs and sofas, and Lulu disappeared quietly into the kitchen, returning almost instantly with sandwiches and mugs of tea, which they fell onto ravenously. Ten minutes later, everyone seemed much better and Charlie was looking expectantly at Mr Weasley.

"I'm sorry, son. It was nothing really…"

"Except a bloody pain in the neck," muttered Percy darkly.

Mr Weasley gave a slight smile. "Well, yes. After we'd sorted things out at the Ministry, and at…" A glance at the avidly curious non-Order members. "…Headquarters, we couldn't Floo back because…well, Grimmauld Place was rather busy."

Charlie gave a nod of understanding. "But you could Apparate."

"No," said Bill. "Only to five miles outside the village. Moody's put a block up, but never bothered to mention it."

"We Apparated this morning!"

"Yes, but just from the village. That's alright, apparently. The block is meant to stop undesirables from further afield."

"So they Apparate to the five-mile boundary, step over it, and Apparate up here!"

"That's why the block is going tomorrow," interposed Mr Weasley. "But that wasn't the worst of it."

"My God, what was?"

"Well, after we'd walked the five miles – we didn't realise, you see, we just thought that something very funny must be going on – and then made our way up here, we couldn't get near the house."

"You what?"

"The night-time wards."

"Wait a minute," cut in Ron. "You mean the wards protecting the house stopped you getting in to it?"

The slightly embarrassed silence told all.

"We tried for almost two hours," said Emily conversationally. "All of us together, and we even knew what the wards were. This security is just fantastic."

Harry looked as if he were trying to work something out. "But how are you meant to get in? I mean, yeah, obviously, it's great that other people can't break in, but isn't it a bit inconvenient if we can't? Am I missing something here, or what?"

Mr Weasley again looked apologetic. "Passwords," he said shortly.

Charlie breathed out slowly with a grin of understanding. "None of you checked the passwords?"

Another eloquent silence. Even Emily appeared momentarily uncomfortable.

He shook his head with hardly-concealed amusement. "You had better pray that Moody doesn't find out."

"You see," Charlie explained to Hermione and Harry the next day, "the passwords to bypass the security wards change daily, and they're only accessible from here, Headquarters and Hogwarts. No-one checked before they left because they didn't expect to need them." He leaned back comfortably. "Bit of a cock-up, really."

Charlie was again acting as the Burrow's liaison between Headquarters, the Ministry, Romania and a dozen other places where the Order was preparing their operation. Between the frantic periods when he was quickly relaying messages, instructions and suggestions he had nothing to do, but could not, of course, leave. For someone more at home outside than in, acting than waiting, it was incredibly frustrating, and they had taken pity on his obvious boredom by keeping him company whilst Ron was de-greened. Charlie was returning the favour by filling them in more on the events of last night.

"Bill told me that once they realised they were going to have to break in, him and Emily quietly owled Lupin for the passwords. Bill's seen Mad-Eye's security before, you see. It was a bit of a hassle – they had to call an owl, because obviously they don't carry them around and Ottery's a muggle village…"

"What do you mean, call an owl?" asked Harry. "Like calling the Knight Bus?"

Charlie grinned, and pulled out a sort of wooden flute from his pocket. "No, like using a muggle bird whistle. Me and Hagrid made them for everyone in the Order. They call the Order owls."

"God, you've got everything, haven't you?" marvelled Harry.

Hermione silently agreed as she examined the whistle. It was obviously made to exact dimensions for the perfect sound, and the magic with which it was clearly imbued gave a warm tingle to the wood. Birch, she thought, with a mouthpiece of dark ebony. Also very beautiful, though with a simple design. "It's lovely, Charlie."

He shrugged. "It's useful."

"Where are the Order owls kept?" Harry put in curiously.

Charlie gave a wide grin. "They're not kept anywhere. They just fly about freely in any areas where we're working. They're perfectly safe, because they don't carry secure information, just general messages."

"Passwords aren't secure information?"

"Lupin didn't just send the passwords. He Apparated over – or tried to. He had to walk, obviously, from Moody's block, but thank God he did get here or they'd have been stuck all night. It was him who found out about the block, apparently – guessed straight away it was old Mad-Eye's doing and owled him. Obviously he was kind enough not to explain the exact situation, which saves us quite a lot of embarrassment but meant Moody didn't come charging over last night to fix the block, just said he'd do it in the morning. Which he hasn't, but I suppose he's busy enough today."

The fireplace started to glow green, and Charlie was instantly alert. "Sorry, do you mind…"

"Yeah, sure," replied Harry quickly, and they left to check on Ron. On the way, Hermione checked a little as she was hit by a sudden realisation.

Harry looked at her, concerned. "You alright?"

She nodded absently. Should she tell him? The green light of the Floo flame had suddenly connected together in her mind several memories from the last few days. Taken apart, they meant nothing. Taken together, they still meant almost nothing, but they gave a small clue to the mystery that she, Harry, Ron and Ginny had been wondering about all summer. It was almost nothing, but it was interesting. Should she tell him?

A/N You've seen all the relevant memories, and if you want to have a guess at what she figured out, drop me a line at also kind of desperate for people to check out my new blog - here's the link http/ as usual, I'd really appreciate reviews. Thanks for reading!