"Holly, please say something." James pleaded, it was pouring out side.
"You want to know?" she said angrily, he looked scared to see her this angry. "James, I spent the last three years as a bounty hunter. I captured, and killed whoever the Ministry told me too. Mostly Death Eaters. I'm not proud of what I did. That's why I left. And now I've got to go back into the field and now it's all going to start again. You think I'm happy about this? I'm not. But I've got to do something." she took a deep breath and calmed herself. "I'm sorry James." she said tearfully. "I'll understand if you never want to see me again. Please… don't tell the others." she began to walk away. He was in shock. This couldn't be true, not Holly, she was the nicest person he knew. She couldn't be capable of this. But it would explain everything.
"Holly don't go." he hugged her. "It's ok." She cried into him. "I think it's kinda cool actually."
"What? You're not appalled?" It was Holly's turn to be in shock.
"No. Why would I? You're my friend, and soon enough family. We've got to do what we've got to do. And it seems like you didn't enjoy it. So, you'll be fine. And I know that everyone else would understand too." she felt better, not all the way, but enough were she was ok with James knowing. "Just one thing. How did you get into all this?"
"My biological father. He's a seconded generation bounty hunter. I never knew him growing up and I thought it would be a good chance to know him. He died 6 months into it. I had met Avrik by then, and then…well, I suppose you can figure out the rest."
"That makes sense." He rubbed her back, a sudden thought hit him . "You mean Aaron isn't your real dad?"
"No. My mum couldn't take being bounty hunter's wife. But they ended it on good terms, just after I was born I suppose. She never said anything bad about him. But Aaron's my dad. Besides I only knew my real one for six months." she paused for a moment. "James. I'm not mad at Sirius. I was, am, scared of his opinion changing about me if he knew about what I was really doing while I was away. And what I'm about to do again."
"He'll be fine with it. He'd be in shock at first, but then he'd probably ask you to marry him on the spot."
"Why?"
"I think he'd be relieved that you're not as perfect as he makes you seem." he chuckled. She looked uneasy. "Do you want me to talk to him for you?"
"James I couldn't ask you to do that. You've got enough on your plate and…"
"You're not asking, I'm offering. There's a difference. And I'll do it because I, and I'm sure Remus, is sick of seeing you two being so depressed." she nodded, something caught her eye up in the sky.
"James, get home to Lily now." she said sternly and quickly, breaking away from him.
"What Holly….oh shit." he saw it too. The horrifying green light in the sky. It was the Dark Mark, and it was a block away from where they were. They quickly said good-bye, James promising to send her an owl as soon as he got any information, and rushed home.
Holly burst into her apartment looking around frantically for Remus. She didn't have to look far, he was sitting up on the couch with a book. He wasn't reading it, more starting blankly at the pages. He was extremely pale.
"Remus." she whispered in slight relief hugging him tightly. "Thank goodness your ok." she began to cry again. They just sat there like that for the longest time.
"I take it you saw it too." he said trying to keep his voice from shaking.
"Yeah." she said wiping away the tears and taking a deep breath. "Remus, I need to tell you something." He nodded, Holly moved out of his embrace and stood up. She then told him everything she had just told James. When she got done she couldn't look at him. Afraid to see what expression he was wearing. "I'm sorry Remus. If you don't want to stay anymore, I understand." He looked at her funny.
"I'd wouldn't think of it."
"Really? You're ok with this?"
"Of course. It is a bit of a shock though. That would be the last profession I'd thought I'd see you in. But it's understandable."
"I was so scared to tell you. I thought you'd hate me."
"Never…I guess while were dealing out secretes I might as well tell you something I should have told you a long time ago. I'm sorry I've kept it from you…but the thing is I'm…" There was a loud pecking noise at the window. Holly opened the window and in flew a large snowy owl. She quickly read the note attached, scribbled a response and sent the owl on her way.
"It was from James. He and Lily are ok, and they had gotten word from Sirius and he's ok too." she sat down and relaxed for the first time in three hours. "Ok, what did you want to tell me?"
"I guess now isn't the best time, it can wait."
"What?" Remus pointed the window to see another owl fly in. Holly read the letter, once again sent a quick reply then ran to her room to change, without saying anything. She pulled off her nice clothes and pulled on a pair of black pants, navy long sleeved shirt, and her black work robes.
"Where are you going?" Remus said concerned.
"Work. I don't know when I'll be back." she headed for the door, but then paused. "If anything happens to me, tell Sirius that I'm not mad at him, and Remus, just know that I've always respected you to know end." she gave him a quick smile and apperated out.