By the next day, the group of cleaners found themselves in the Drawing Room. The cupboards and tables were bare due to the purging of the previous year. The only things that remained were the Black Family Tree, chairs, couches, and a bookshelf full of books.
"Have fun, and don't make a mess," Mrs. Weasley warned, backing out of the room and locking the door.
"It is like a prison," Neville moaned, carrying his bucket of soapy water over to the grimy window of the room.
"At least you don't have to dust," Kt complained, pushing her now dusty hair out of her eyes and dragging the rag across the top of the bookshelf.
"Hey, if you want to trade –" Harry offered, holding out his sponge.
"Er, no," Kit said, eyeing the sponge unpleasantly. "I'll stick with this, thanks."
They cleaned. Neville sluiced layers of grime off the window until dim light came through into the room. The rest, other than Kit, washed walls, peeling off layers of dirt and mould; polished tables and cupboards, revealing dark mahogany furniture. Even the couches and chairs, after scouring, turned out to have dark green leather upholster.
Alone, Kit dusted the bookshelf as well as every book that it contained. Halfway down, she pulled out the next book to dust, bound in red leather. As she pulled it, a grinding noise of stone on stone erupted. The rest of the group froze and looked up in awe as the bookshelf slowly turned, revealing an opening in the wall.
"Bloody hell," Ron breathed, dropping his cloth.
"A secret room," Kit said quietly, inching forwards with the rest of them behind her.
Before any of them could inquire any farther, a freckled face peered around the corner.
"Charlie!"
He smiled, leading them all the way into the sparsely furnished room. The walls were stone, covered in photographs that no doubt had belonged to Sirius.
"Wow," they all breathed, examining the pictures of –
"Are these –?" Kit breathed.
"They must be," Hermione whispered.
Ron laughed. "Look at what –"
"These guys are nuts," Neville laughed.
"Were," Harry corrected, fingering the same picture he had tucked away in his own photo album.
"The infamous Marauders of Hogwarts," Kristina interrupted, seated on the only loveseat in the room.
As they all turned to greet the sorrowful girl, Harry slipped discreetly out of the room.
"How are you?" Ginny asked, still looking at the pictures.
"Not good now," Charlie said as Kristina's eyes refilled with tears, "but we will be okay."
"I'm sorry," breathed Kit, but Kristina shook her head.
"It's not y–your fault," she sobbed.
"What happened?" Hermione asked gently.
"We were on duty last night," Charlie said softly as Kristina continued to sob. "Just a regular routine check around, so we weren't expecting anyone to be there, but were attacked anyway." He drew a great shuddering breath, hugging Kristina closer to him. "When they came, the only thing I could think about was keeping her and the baby safe, but then –"
"I'm so sorry," Ginny apologized, tears shining in her own eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered, allowing Charlie to help her to her feet.
"Did you want us to –?" Kit began.
"No," Charlie whispered. "We have an appointment now, to see when we can try again."
They all nodded, allowing the couple to leave the room.
"That's terrible," Kit whispered as their backs disappeared around the corner.
"Yeah," Ginny agreed, wiping her eyes.
At dinner that evening, Kristina did not attend. Charlie mentioned that the doctor's appointment went well, but seemed deaf to inquiries about her condition as it stood.
About halfway through dinner, Bill and Fleur slid into their seats, both looking windswept and ecstatic.
"What did you do?" Charlie asked, taking a sip of wine.
"What makes you think we did anything?" Bill retorted as Fleur giggled, taking the potatoes Mrs. Weasley passed her.
"What did you do?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Dad!"
Just tell us," he said, sighing as he faced his eldest son.
"Is that a ring?"
The couple fell silent at Ginny's words. All attention was on Bill and Fleur.
"What did you do?" Mrs. Weasley repeated dangerously.
"We – er – went to Wales," Fleur began in her thick French accent, blushing furiously, "and – er – we –"
"Got married," Bill finished quickly, refusing to meet the gaze of anyone in the room.
"Eloped?" Mrs. Weasley breathed, her eyes narrowed.
The rest, sensing danger, quickly offered their congratulations before fleeing the kitchen.
"They're in for it now," Ron said, leading the teenagers into the drawing room. As Ginny closed the door behind her, Mrs. Weasley's voice erupted from the kitchen.
They all agreed.
The next day dawned bright and sunny, with a letter awaiting Kit at breakfast.
"Who's it from?" Harry asked her as she ripped it open.
"Adrien," she said, her expression falling as her eyes traveled down the page.
"What is it?" Harry asked quietly as her golden eyes suddenly became clouded.
"Her cousin took her to a pub last night," she whispered, "and she fell to temptation."
"Bugger," Harry said softly, taking Kit's hand as her eyes filled with tears.
"I have to take her to another meeting," she continued, "and the next one is today at noon." She turned to look at Harry. "How am I going to get there?"
"We'll find a way," Harry whispered.
"Ron should know."
"Ron should go," Neville said, taking the seat opposite them.
"Another dream?" Harry asked quietly. Neville nodded. "Bugger."
At that moment, Ron slid into the seat next to Neville.
"What are you buggering now?" he asked, preparing to eat the waffles in front of him.
"You," Kit growled.
"Me?" he asked, dropping his fork.
"You have a meeting to go to today," she continued, glaring at him.
"But I'm fine," he whispered, not meeting her gaze.
"Are you fine in the subconscious as well?" she breathed, causing a dull red flush to creep up his neck.
"No one's dreams are fine," he retorted.
"But our dreams reflect our very inner thoughts and feelings," she said, her gaze not moving from his burning face. "And the counsellor said that –"
"I don't give a damn what she –"
"Why not?"
"It doesn't work."
"Prove it."
"I can't."
"Can't what?"
The four of them looked up at Hermione in the doorway with a confused expression on her face.
"Nothing," they all chorused.
Her face fell.
"Tell me what's going on," she said softly, warning in her voice.
"There's nothing to tell!" Ron exclaimed.
Her eyes narrowed.
"I know you're keeping something from me," she whispered, her eyes glued to Ron's face.
"How –?"
"Don't keep secrets from me now," she continued, her voice constricted by tears. "I missed so much. I don't want to be –"
"Kept in the dark," Harry finished, wrapping her in a hug. "We know, but it's not important. You have other thing in your life that –"
"Okay, okay," she whispered, wiping her eyes. "But promise me you'll tell me eventually?"
"Of course," they all said.
"Thanks," she replied smiling smally.
"Just let them be, Molly!" a voice interrupted, and they all started.
"No! You've let them be for too long, Remus! They can't keep going on the way they are!"
"I won't tell them they can't see each other!"
"You're his guardian! You can't let him sleep around!"
"For Merlin's sake, Molly, he's not stupid!"
"His father was!"
Silence fell thick on those both inside and outside the kitchen.
"Bloody hell, Molly," Remus said, and they could all hear the tears in his voice, "just leave us alone."
"Us?"
The kitchen door opened and closed quickly as Remus slid inside. As his eyes met the group of students, he shook his head sadly, moving to the depths of the kitchen, away from them all.
"Sorry you had to hear that," he said softly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
"It's alright," they all chorused softly.
"I see where Percy gets it," Ron muttered.
Kit, however, was looking at Harry, whom of which was watching Remus.
"What are your plans for today?" Remus asked quietly.
"Going to London," Kit answered, her gaze still trained on Harry. "We were going to meet Adrien and –"
"Do you need a ride?" he asked.
"We were going to take the –"
"Can I come?"
The four teenagers looked at the man. For the first time, Remus looked emotionally weak. It was only now that it became apparent how much the loss of his best friends really hurt.
"Sure," Harry said quietly.
"When are we going?"
"As soon as possible," Kit replied, breaking her gaze and standing up.
"Thank Merlin."
It was the next day when Hermione cornered Harry in the drawing room.
"Where did you all go yesterday?" she asked gently, closing the door behind her.
"What do you mean?" he asked, putting the book he was perusing back on the shelf in front of him.
"Yesterday when Jonathon, Remus, Neville and I went for coffee, the rest of you disappeared."
Harry looked up, painted into a corner. They had gone to the meeting while Remus took the others for coffee.
"I know it's about Ron," Hermione concluded.
Harry nodded, hanging his head.
"Tell me, Harry," she pleaded.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "This is between you and Ron."
"Me?"
Harry nodded. "He's in love with you," he whispered.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears.
"Really what?"
"Nothing," Harry said quickly, turning to Ron in the doorway.
"Okay," he said slowly, looking between the two of them confusedly. "Er – lunch is ready in the kitchen."
"Good," Harry said, jumping up. "I'm starved."
The other two followed, but as Harry entered the kitchen, Hermione stopped.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked her, stopping in his tracks and looking back at her.
"I should ask you the same thing," she whispered.
"Wha – what d–do you –?"
"Harry told me –"
"Told you what?"
"That whatever problem you have –"
"So you don't –?"
"Has something to do with me."
Ron gaped at her.
"I can't tell you now," he whispered quickly.
"Then when?" she asked, her voice saturated in disappointment.
Ron hesitated. "I don't –"
"It's either now or never, Ron."
He sighed. "Follow me," he resigned, leading her away from the kitchen and up to the secret room.