So this is it. I suppose I should come up with some clever and witty saying, but truly, I'm stumped. I'm really pleased that there were so many people who like this story, it is really an honour. And, kudos to you, for putting up with my cliffy's and rather sarcastic AN's.

Anyways, watch my page because I'm not done yet. A new story will be posted within the next month and although it is nothing like this one (comedy!) I really do hope that some of you tune back in.

Alas, on one last note, I say farewell and thank you!

Chapter 30

I made my way to the bathroom slowly, and closed the door behind me with a click. I had picked out the clothing I would wear to dinner carefully, both scared and excited. However, I was not prepared for the bathroom parallel.

My nose was slightly bigger than before, but then again so were my eyes. My face which had once been rather round was gaunt and even more pale. No longer china white, but tinted green. My eyes looked hollow, and the once rather pretty blue had reduced itself to a ghost; a pearly shade of baby blue made my eyes appear as almost one color. The black eyelashes appeared rather out of place and my largest scars still remained, the biggest and deepest most visible and swollen a nasty pink.

I striped slowly and turned on the tap to the shower, mildly rubbing the hollow off my stomach. I stepped in and felt grateful for Harry's suggestion. The warm water felt good and my greasy hair which had been clinging to my head mere minutes ago obviously felt the difference, and let up. I stood in the water for at least twenty minutes, increasing the heat steadily until I was afraid I would burn.

I dressed in the purple long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of black trousers. My hair, still wet, was pulled back with a head band and I applied a little of the make-up Ginny had supplied for me so long ago—although it didn't help much.

I went to my library, silently slipping past the stairs leading down to the kitchen and tiptoes throughout the house, like a mouse. My book was where I had left it, bookmark still in its place. No one had been in the library since I had left, that was obvious. I turned on the small lamp and read my book until dinner.

§

Around six o'clock I headed downstairs to the kitchen. Self-conscious of my newly healed face I arranged my now dry, wavy hair overtop my brow. The steps were the same, although my outlook on the whole house was different. Apparently aware of my joining the dinner table, the Weasley's were in the house, prepping the table and dinner. I wondered why they weren't mourning in their own house, but shrugged it off. They were the only family that Harry and Remus had, and it made sense for them to be there.

I entered the dining room to an awkward silence. I assumed this to be the new mood of the family, and immediately regretted being in the place where he died with them.

Percy was setting up cutlery as I walked in. He looked up at me, and although I knew him to be slightly shabby when he dressed, his appearance was rather raw. Black collar, black pants and black robes, his bags underneath his eyes seemed to be the only dot of color.

"Hello Bethany," he said formally. I jumped back.

"Please call me Beth," I said delicately.

"Bethany is your full name is it not?" he asked.

"Well yes—"

"I will call you that then."

Fred walked into the robe, or I assumed him to be Fred, a black band sewn onto the arm of his emerald robes.

"Hey Beth. Perce, what's this?" he asked as he had wandered in on the last half of our rather stiff conversation. "The girl wants to be called Beth, so do it." He nodded solemnly. "And stop acting like you're the only person who knew Bill." Fred's face softened when he turned to look at me.

"Hey Fred," I said, once again quite softly. He walked forwards and squeezed me tight. Then, whispering in my ear he said, "Don't mind Percy. He thinks… he thinks that it is all his fault and is being a real prat about it." I nodded.

"Can I help in the Kitchen?" I asked while pulling out of his embrace.

"Erm... actually I think Ginny, Mum, and Hermione have got it under control. The guys will be back in a sec. They went to get glasses as I'm sure you—"

"GET OUT! OUT OF MY KITCHEN!"

Mrs. Weasley's voice came penetratingly from the kitchen as Harry, Remus, Charlie, Ron, and George were ushered out, each carrying glasses for the table. Fred shrugged and went to grab a glass from Charlie, who had apparently tried to balance it on his head. They placed them down on the table before noticing me.

"Well," I practically whispered, "Where do you want me to sit?"

"Well Harry's sitting there," said George, pointing to the head of the table, and Ron will probably sit there… so why don't you sit to Harry's left. Mum will be out with dinner in a moment." I nodded and sat down in the chair assigned to me.

Sure enough, Mrs. Weasley hovered things one by one to the table, followed by Hermione and Ginny, carrying the smaller dishes. Mrs. Weasley was rather thin, and almost as gaunt as I. Her cheeks had very fake rouge plastered onto them, and her eyes seemed dull and rimmed in a swollen red appearance. Tears were permanently welled up in her rather large orbs, and her hands seemed to be constantly quaking. Ginny looked much like her mother, her once shiny and healthy hair ruffled and sitting on her head like a wig. Her shirt seemed to be much too big on her and read 'Life of a Curse Breaker' and listed different words beneath it. It was then I realized it to be Bill's.

Potatoes, ham and all sorts of side dishes were scattered throughout the table, and the smell almost made me sick. No one said a word as we sat down to dinner, and one by one, everyone held out a hand.

Harry held his out to me, and I took it, confused as Remus sitting on my left took mine.

Mr. Weasley, who had arrived at the last minute, began to speak. "Thank you for those who are still with us today, and everyone who sits at the table to share this wonderful meal. We'd like to say hello to Bill and Fleur who are in our thoughts on this night and always."

Everyone bowed their heads for a moment and then let go of hands, although Harry's delay leaving mine for a moment longer. Although this was no religious act, the thoughts lingered like Harry's hand in my mind for a few moments more before I listened in on the conversation at the table.

"…reunited with his family. It was heart touching. I'm not even part of that department, but they asked me to speak with the little guy. It's quite scary really. They wanted a family man, and although they could've asked Baubles or Smyth, they asked me." He smiled a little proudly. "We found the kids' parents in no time at all, although how he lived for all these months by himself, I'll never be quite sure. Handsome little boy; only nine years old."

"That's great dad," said Charlie unenthusiastically. Bill's death had hit him hard. Closest to him in age, Charlie and Bill were always whispering and sharing opinions; it's too bad it took death for me to see how close they were. Charlie's once nicely cropped hair was messy and looked too much like Harry's. He, like Percy, was clothed in black and had a fearful look permanently plastered on his face; like a mask.

I poked at my ham lifelessly, and nibbled at a carrot. The conversation continued over to reconstruction in the homes around the Burrow, and how Diagon Alley is fairing. I stayed silent throughout the meal, but kept my promise by sitting through the whole thing.

Only before dessert did I leave, claiming a sore stomach, and going to bed. Once in my room I crawled under the covers softly and pulled them up to my chin. Afraid to turn off the light, I closed my eyes with it still on and fell asleep.

§

"You take their word over mine?" he was asking. "I've been in your life for how long Bethany?"

I looked at him shamelessly. "You lied to me!" I screamed at him. "You lied!" His voice echoed in my head as death eaters appeared around me, chanting a word I didn't recognized, but knew.

"DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!"

I watched helplessly as my Father held my hands suspended behind my back and they killed off each member of the Weasley family before my eyes. Lastly Harry came to the center of the circle, his eyes rimmed red. He looked at me, pleading.

"Don't let them do this to me Beth," he said sadly.

"I can't help you!" I screamed, struggling in my father's grip. I shrieked as he went down slowly, his head bouncing up off the ground twice.

"No! No!"

The man who killed him laughed and removed his white mask. Snape, the man whose first name I didn't know stood there laughing at me, a face of pure hatred and evil.

"Remember me Beth?" he asked. I screamed again and kicked my Father in the groin with the bottom of my foot.

"There isn't a part of you I haven't seen Beth!" his voice dropped to a low menacing tone, "I've seen you cry, and I've seen you fight. I've seen you face death, and I've made you face death. Don't fight me Beth."

Behind him Bellatrix Lestrange was pointing and laughing at me, the eyes underneath her heavy lids flickering. That was when I realized it was a dream.

"You're dead! You died!" I shouted. "And he killed you!"

"Beth! Shh! Beth wake up!"

Harry's face looked at me palely in the night. My lamp had been shut off and all I could see was the reflection of his eyes in the moonlight streaming through my window.

"It's alright."

He helped me sit up and I gasped for the breath, leaning into him.

"Come with me. I want to show you something."

I threw my legs over the side of the bed and let out a little gasp as my feet collided with the cold surface. Pulling my jacket up off the floor I pulled it on and allowed Harry to lead me out down the hall in my night gown.

He too was in his pajamas, his face both excited and scary.

"Where are we going?" I hissed into the empty hallway.

"You'll see," was the only reply I received. "You were dreaming about death eaters."

I didn't say anything, but continued to stroll forwards at a slower pace.

"I do. All the time." He continued casually. "When I can't sleep, or when I'm… you'll see." We continued through the house and he took me to the front hallway, motioning for quiet with his fingers. We proceeded to leave the manor.

"Harry." I stopped and he turned to look at me. "This is craziness! I'm in my nightie!" He smiled.

"It suits you."

"Harry."

"Just trust me okay?" I looked at him, tears glistening in my eyes. I don't think he realized what he was asking. A breeze swept across the ground and realized how the cold concrete was on my bare feet. He walked closer to me, still not letting go of my hand. "Please."

He moved forward, dragging me from behind. We walked half a block and he turned right, pulling me into an eerie field of grass. A swing set stood isolated in the middle of a small sandpit. We walked past it and onto the grass, once again, I felt nervous walking through the darkness barefoot. After another three minutes we stopped. Harry let go of my hand and laid down, right there in the middle of the field. The outrageous behavior started to scare me.

"Harry? What are you doing?"

"Lay down. Just trust me." I sighed, but copied his movements, careful to keep my nightie down around my knees. I placed my head in the grass and closed my eyes. "Now look up."

I did, and was not shocked, but mildly surprised by the sight. A crescent moon hung in the sky; it's moonlight bathing me in a glowing light.

"I come here all the time. It's peaceful, and I can think." He whispered. I still didn't understand. "I talk out loud about stuff, and no one's here to listen or object."

It dawned on me. He knew about my time with evil. I had only told Remus, and he had promised not to tell, and it was very unlike Remus to break a promise. "How did you know?"

"Fred and George have these things that allow you to eavesdrop. The kind of look like string." I nodded.

"So you listened in."

"Yes."

"So you want me to talk about it?"

"Only if you want to."

I looked at him, and if he felt my stare he didn't show it. He continued to stare at the moon and so I turned back as well, the grass rustling underneath my head.

"I was a test subject. They used me as an experiment for new curses." My face seemed strangely dry, and I continued. "The man you call Snape, he was the leader. He did the most yelling and cursing other than Voldemort himself. I only saw him once. His face looked like… like a snake, and he was walking down the corridor I was in with other 'testees'. That's what we called ourselves. Did you know they tested… they tested kids." I continued gazing at the moon while memories flashed in my head. "Six and seven year old girls and boys… they continually died. In front of me… like the girl in the eating-place. They were like that. And they all had—there was this look on every single one of their faces, as if they thought the green light or blue light, or whatever flash of color the spell on them might have been, they thought it was pretty.

"Have you ever seen a little one die?"

Harry sighed, but didn't reply.

"It's so much different then watching someone older die. An older person knows what is coming and… I don't know. The old man with the beard, he sighed when he saw the green light… But the little girl with the red hair and her twin, they looked almost happy. As if they wanted," I gulped. "As if they wanted to touch it.

"I dreaded the light. I saw it coming and held my breath, praying for death or… death. Just death. I'm a coward. And now…" I trailed off, steam rising from the wet tears. "My face is going to go as wrinkled as a prune if I-I k-keep crying at this r-rate!" I sobbed in one breath. I sat up, and looked away from the moon.

Harry heard the rustle and sat up alongside me, his reaction barely visible in the night.

"And then, when I woke up in the hospital, my face… it's like this!" I motioned with my hands. "And I woke up beside a dead person! And people just keep dying, and when my Father was there, when he found me…. I just t-though that I would be all right. I thought that the constant forever-living man I had known all my life would be my savior. W-why would he be one of the m-most evil things I've ever known Harry?" I asked, "Why is it just not fair?"

Harry scooted over beside me.

"Why do people lie?" I cried, unable to keep my voice in a whisper. "Why am I always lied to? They lied to me when they said they were going to free m-me, and they lied about the pain a-and…. Did I do something bad?"

He placed his arm on my shivering shoulders, rubbed my back in circles until I could breathe normally.

"We won't lie to you Beth," he whispered. "Remus, Hermione, Ginny, Charlie, the twins—we won't lie to you. We've all lost something or someone. If you trust us, we'll trust you. We won't hurt you, we won't yell, and we won't lie."

I looked at him, his eyes glowing in the shine of the night. I knew he was telling the truth.

"You can live with me. We can make it official, and Remus can be you surrogate dad," he said with a smile. "That man needs to take on some responsibility other than himself. And I know you're almost of age, but you're not yet, and… well give him a chance."

I snorted and rocked back a bit.

"I'd really like that."

"We would too."

His expression was one of promise; a truthful, bruised and battered face, but a promising one none-the-less. I wondered what he saw while he looked back at me, his gaze strong. A mistrusting, abused, and scarred face, one unsure of anything and everything. It seemed that he didn't care. He leaned in and kissed me, not as soft as last time, and not as short. We sat there for a little while, and gently he pulled away, smiling and holding me.

I felt the side of my face, over top the rough skin with my hand. He placed his hand overtop of mine, and tenderly traced the scar on my cheek. He pulled our hands back and kissed it. I saw a tear roll down his cheek, echoing mine.

"It'll fade," he said.

"Do you promise?" I said almost inaudibly.

He gazed at me, and almost as soft as my voice, he gently replied: "I promise."