A/N: Alright, it's officially time for Chapter 2, let's get it started!

Chapter II: A New Normal

(Daphne P.O.V)

Daphne rolled across the bed she and Harry shared. Nimbly she pulled her arm out, hoping to wrap it across Harry's warm chest, though nobody was found. Her eyes cracked open, to see only the imprint of Harry's once resting body on the still-warm mattress. Her eyes glanced towards the bathroom, but the light wasn't on. Where'd he-, her thoughts fell silent, however, as, through the window, she saw the pale light that radiated from the full moon. Ah, I see.

She pulled herself from the bed, her naked form covered in the bed sheets as she walked towards the silk nightgown that Harry had no trouble removing earlier that night. She slid on her 'modest' clothing, dropping the sheets back atop the bed before she slithered from their bedroom. Her footsteps were silent yet hurried. Grimmauld Place had become home to her. She knew the manor like the back of her hand, and more importantly, she knew precisely where Harry would be.

She smiled as she cracked open the door. Harry stood shirtless in the center of the moon-lit room. His arms rocked across his body as he sang soft lullabies to the newest addition to the family. "It's alright, Teddy." Harry whispered, "No need to cry. Your Uncle Harry isn't going to let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

"He was crying again?" Daphne whispered out as Harry turned his back towards the window, facing her with tired eyes. He nodded quietly. Her heart fluttered as she looked at the baby in Harry's arm. Usually, she'd have pestered Harry about his blatant favoritism of Remus and Narcissa's son, but as Harry held him, she just didn't have the heart to tell him.

James was a cute kid in his own right, especially with his now full head of black-curls, but Teddy had something important to Harry, and one needed to look no further than the color of the boy's hair. A dark purple, or at least, today it was. Other days it would be green or light turquoise, one time she'd even seen the boy's hair turn red. The boy was a metamorphmagus, just like Tonks.

"He's normally really quiet," Harry said, rocking Teddy softly in his arms. "But whenever a full moon comes around, he's absolutely miserable. He screams and cries, and-" Harry sighed "I wish I could understand what was happening to him. I mean, he's clearly not a werewolf, and yet-" Harry shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I just couldn't sleep all that well, and when I heard him crying, I decided to help. Narcissa came in, but I sent her back, she always looks so drained during a full moon."

"Nightmares?" Daphne whispered to which Harry nodded reluctantly. "Which one?" She asked. The boy's life had left him with a revolving door of possible terrors. "Was it the one about Ted and-"

"No," Harry said, his eyes glued to the floor. "Tonight's was about Tonks and Azkaban. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. First Tonks, now Ted. I- I just don't know how Andromeda is hanging in there. I mean, we don't even have a body to bury for Ted for Merlin's sake. I know it's not my fault, but I still feel like I'm letting everyone down. I mean I haven't even had the time to go check out the Orphanage that Dumbledore hinted at might have the lost Diadem in it and the goblins are being a pain in the ass regarding Bellatrix's vault, and- it's hard, you know?"

"You care deeply about people, Flyboy." Daphne said. "For as much of an ass as you try to make yourself believe you are, you're not the type of person that can turn a blind eye to other people's pain. It's just not who you are, but you need to learn to award yourself for what you've gotten right."

"How many people have you saved since the Death Eaters started raiding villages again to remind people to fear them?" Daphne whispered. "How many kidnappings have you stopped? You can't save everyone, but you're doing everything you can, Harry. You need to learn to forgive yourself." She chuckled "I never imagined I'd be giving the arrogant third-year that arrived at the castle seemingly only to annoy me into going out on a date with him a speech about caring more about himself."

"How things have changed." Harry said with a smirk. "Sometimes I wish we could go back to that level of simplicity."

"I don't." Daphne whispered, and Harry's eyes widened at the admission. "Back then, I thought you were cute and brave. I thought you were heroic but annoying, and I wasn't really sure how long we were going to be together after we started dating." She smiled "For as difficult as everything has been, it shaped you into being the person I love. I don't think I'd trade that for the world."

"When you put it that way, it almost makes me sound selfish." Harry said as he took a step towards her. He leaned forward, and Daphne caught the taste of Harry's salty lips against hers before they pulled away. "I love you too, Princess."

"I know." Daphne said with a chuckle "And I have the soreness in my thighs to prove it." Harry's face blushed a bright red as she smiled. "I'm only kidding, but I'm glad to see that even the Great Harry Potter can get flustered sometimes."

"Yeah, very funny." Harry said, turning his back towards the window as Daphne stood at his side, leaning into his shoulder. "I miss her, Daphne. I miss them all a lot."

"Yeah," Daphne said with a gentle nod, "Me too." She placed a soft peck against Harry's bandaged arm as the gentle ticking of the clock glided across the wall. "But we have to keep hoping that this year will be better." She smiled as Harry turned to face her "This is the year the war finally ends, I can feel it."

"I hope you're right." Harry said, glancing at the sinking moon. "Because for once I'd just like to not have to think about this war and just be able to say 'Happy New Year' all the while seeing fireworks in the sky instead of dangerous spells and dark marks."

(Sirius P.O.V)

The bouquets in Sirius' hand weighed heavy as the cold January breeze blew overhead. I never imagined I'd be making so many trips here. The cemetery's gate creaked as the winds forced its rusted bolts to rattle. But hardly anything could be heard over the soft sobbing at his side.

He closed his eyes as he placed the flowers atop Tonks' grave, replicating the same motion for the girl's father. A fire burned in his heart as he rubbed the dust from the headstone that marked the empty grave. One after the other. Sirius turned to the woman at his side. What a hellish existence.

Andromeda's head tucked into Sirius' shoulder, the wetness of her tears trailing down his back as it seeped through his clothes. Kreacher, Regulus, Tonks, Ted, James, Lily. He sighed as he looked up towards the grey sky. How many more will this cemetery hold by the time this war's over? "Sirius, I- I can't do it. I just-" Sirius held his cousin close as she cried "God Sirius, sometimes I just want to die."

His mind fogged at the woman's words, his throat drier than a desert. I can't blame you but- His fist clenched tightly. I don't even know what I'm supposed to say.

Raindrops fell from the sky, mixing with the tears of the widow who had the misfortune of burying her own child. The world was cruel, and war brought that silent cruelty to the forefront. There was no more denying it, no hoping for a peaceful resolution. Bones had declared war on Voldemort the day of her election as Minister, and all of England, wizard or not, felt it. His blood ran cold as he imagined the new plots that would undoubtedly fill the cemetery in just a few months. War is hell.

Sirius squeezed the woman's hand, "We're going to be okay, Andy." His words weren't even believable to him as he rubbed the crying woman's back. "The ones we love, they never truly leave us." Andromeda nodded into his neck as Sirius smiled. "But what I do know is that if I let you stay out here and catch a cold, Ted would kill me. Come on." Sirius whispered, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand. "Let's go home."

The halls of Grimmauld Place had gone through a myriad of changes. To Sirius, it had once been a prison, then it became a home. Now, however, the house felt worse than it ever had before. The scent of Emmeline's cooking no longer welcomed him, and the sound of laughter that had once filled the house had vanished from existence.

All that resided within the house were the cries of children and the whispering of battle tactics. Andromeda parted from his side, her feet dragging her exhausted body to the guest room, no longer able to stay where she and Ted once slept. His cousin sluggishly climbed the stairs, each step making his heart shatter more and more until she'd disappeared from view. Hang in there, Andy.

"This is bullshit!" He heard Harry hiss from the kitchen. He followed the noise, coming across the Order huddled around the kitchen table, the map of England spread across it. "We just managed to secure Leeds a few months ago, and now aurors are already being sent there due to fears of another incoming attack! We don't have the luxury of being able to spread out our forces, and I can't be everywhere. I still need to hunt for the Diadem, and whatever the last horcrux is, whether it's his snake or not, we don't have any confirmation on that. Not to mention how unhelpful the goblins have been."

"Bones has been working on getting a warrant to search Bellatrix's vault." Moody growled, "It might override the fact that Sirius doesn't have Bellatrix's key. But he should have had the authority to enter the vault being the Head of House Black with or without the key anyway. If they insist on being unhelpful, all we'll accomplish by bringing aurors to Gringotts is having them join Voldemort's side."

"If that happens," Remus hissed, "It might be game over. If the wizarding world becomes persona non grata and cannot access their funds in Gringotts, Bones won't be able to resist suing for peace. We can't be careless with our next move."

Harry snarled, "If only we could get more numbers into the auror corps, then I could pull away from the battlefield to hunt down the other Horcruxes. If I could just find them, we could back Voldemort into a corner and force the Goblins' hands."

"Nobody's joining because they think the war is lost." Moody said. "Don't get me wrong; most of the wizarding world thinks you're a fine wizard, a powerful one. Maybe some even think you're capable of defeating Voldemort. But we're not just fighting Voldemort. With Giants, Werewolves, and Vampires all at his back, and Dumbledore dead, most would rather just live under Voldemort's reign than risk their safety backing you."

"I'm afraid that's true internationally." Michael called out, dark circles visible under his eyes. "Claire's been trying to get her father to pledge their aurors to our cause, but the first time he mentioned it, he plummeted in the polls. Honestly, he may not even be minister come next year for even hinting at joining the war. The people of France don't want to get involved."

"Same with Bulgaria," Astoria whispered, "Damyan just wrote back to me. Wizarding Bulgaria has one of the lowest populations of Muggle-Born wizards in the world. He even sent me pictures of Pro-Voldemort rallies taking place all across the nation. The likelihood of an outpouring of foreign support is-" The girl coughed, covering her mouth with a white cloth before pocketing it in her jeans. "The likelihood is low."

"Astoria, are you feeling-" Harry started.

"I'm fine, there are bigger problems to focus on right now." She said, glancing back at the map.

"I hate to say it, but she's right." Neville said as he stared at Harry. "I agree with you not returning to Hogwarts this year. And the core members of S.P.I.R.E are sticking around, but we're not exactly getting any new recruits. Hell, most students are dropping out, citing fears of getting attacked by Death Eaters because of S.P.I.R.E's actions." The Longbottom heir rubbed his hand over his knuckles as he continued. "McGonagall is refusing to shut us down despite parental pressure, which helps, but make no mistake about it. Your absence at the castle has been noted, even with Hermione and I trying to hold down the fort."

"We need to even the playing field," Harry said, rubbing his temples. "Currently, we don't have anyone's support because we don't have the numbers that make us look like we can win. If we can bolster our numbers to the point where it looks like a fair fight, perhaps we can swing some other nations to our side."

"We'll never win the numbers battle, Rook." Michael said as he leaned against the kitchen's walls. "Each vampire is at minimum adept with necromancy, meaning every time one of us falls, we don't just lose a number, they gain one. On top of that, they have thralls- granted they're mostly just meat-shields, but with them being mindless and the fallen being dead, we can't even rely on your legilimency pulse to even the field."

"We don't need to outnumber them." Harry said. "We just have to make it look like we have a fighting chance." Sirius followed the boy's eyes as it fell to the marker upon Diagon Alley. "We need to leak some news that I'm going to be in Diagon Alley or somewhere out in public for whatever reason. That should tempt some of the Death Eaters to come and get me. If not for me, then at least to make me look bad by murdering innocent civilians."

"But why would you want the Death Eaters to come for you intentionally?" Astoria whispered, her brow tightly knit.

"I get it," Michael said, "But are you sure you want to risk that?"

"I don't really have a choice." Harry said. "I need eyes on me, watching me save innocent people from the Death Eaters. I need the mass public to see just how strong I've become. It's risky, but if I pull it off, they'll see that I might just have what it takes to fill in Dumbledore's shoes. I might be able to spark some hope."

Sirius stepped forward, "It's a pretty high-risk, high-reward move. I'm not against it, but it'll all be for nothing if we don't even consider who we even stand a shot of recruiting to our side in the first place." Sirius flicked his wand, conjuring a paper and quill before he placed it on the table. His hands jot down the words: Potential Allies before he lifted his head to the room once more. "Alright, anybody got any ideas."

"The Goblins," Harry called out. "There has to be something we can do to win them over. We need access to Bellatrix's vault, whether it be by force or diplomatically, we're getting that cup."

"It's been a while since I've seen them because of the whole, not being at Hogwarts thing," Michael started. "But I used to have a good relationship with the Centaurs. If we make them some promises like their own guaranteed lands, and equal status as a living being, they may fight for us."

"That's good, Goblins, Centaurs.." Sirius whispered "What else?"

"I know it might sound crazy, but if we could get the legion of House-Elves that work for Hogwarts under our control, they'll provide us huge boosts in mobility." Neville said before swallowing hard. "We can also try asking the merpeople. I'm not sure how much help they'd be but at this point, anything helps."

"Elves, Merpeople.." Sirius said, his quill furiously scribbling against the parchment. "Anything else?"

"Dragons!" Charlie called out. "If I get permission from the Romanian Government, there's a chance I could bring the Dragons we have at the habitat over. It's a small chance, but even one could make a huge difference on the battlefield."

Sirius nodded. "It looks like we have our work cut out for us. But if we can even manage to secure a couple of these groups, then maybe, with Harry making a public display of what he can do- we can get some international help." Sirius sighed "For now though, let's try and enjoy what we can over this holiday. It's been a while since we've had a day with no panic calls from the ministry."

(Michael P.O.V)

Michael's head spun as he rested against the headboard of his bed. The mirror in his palm flickered as a smile rose to his face. "Hey, Pretty Bird," Michael said, "Happy New Year." The girl returned with a gorgeous smile, her soft pink hair flowing down to her mid-back, and her grey eyes still glistening through the exhausted circles.

"I miss you, Slacker-Clown," She whispered. Michael nodded as she rested her head against her pillow. "With the way things have been going, I could use a pick me up."

"I wish I could provide one," Michael said, his smile not reaching his eyes, "But I'm in the market for one of those myself." Athena's wings fluttered as she perched herself atop his shoulder. Michael rubbed the back of his owl's head as Athena brushed her soft feathers along his cheeks.

"It looks like you're in good company," Claire chuckled. "Never thought I'd be jealous of an owl." Michael smirked, his girlfriend's grey eyes growing pensive. "Any word from your parents recently?"

The life vanished from his face at the mention of his parents. Michael shook his head, his eyes drifting towards their last shared letter. "Sorry," Claire whispered, "I didn't actually imagine they were going to be so stubborn about it. I mean, especially your mom, she always seemed so supportive."

"Everyone has their limits," Michael said, "I guess my mom's was that she doesn't want me involved with the losing side of a war." He sighed, "I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure how'd you react, but I did something I'm not proud of." Claire's eyes widened as Michael whispered, "Before I left for good, I erased their memories. I had Dobby help me remove anything that might even remind them of me. It's," Michael's lips curled, "It's better this way. They won't have to mourn a son they don't remember having if I die."

Claire looked away, her body trembling from his words. "You're not going to die, Michael," She growled, "Stop talking like that." She clenched her fist, only to loosen it with a deep sigh, "Does anybody know? Harry? Neville?"

"No," Michael said, "The less they have to worry about the better. We're all neck-deep in serious shit; my problems are inconsequential to the mission as a whole." Claire's eyes softened as Michael sunk further into his mattress. "When do you think you'll be coming back here?"

"A week or two, maybe a little longer," Claire said. "I was hoping to come back sooner, but I just don't want to give up on trying to persuade France to help. I feel like my words and my father's pleas are just falling on deaf ears. I get that wizarding France and England haven't always had the best relationship, but I can't understand why they don't see that even if they stay out of the war, after England falls, they're next."

"In my experience, people, in general, aren't exactly huge fans of forethought." Michael's shoulders fell, "Not to mention that to put it simply; people don't care about a problem until it starts affecting them."

A pregnant pause filled the air before Claire broke the silence, "Michael," His eyes followed hers as she turned away shyly, "Do you think- do you really believe we can win?"

"I don't know," Michael said, "Logically speaking, the odds aren't in our favor. But Harry- I believe in him. We need a miracle to pull this off, I don't doubt that. But making miracles happen is kind of his thing." Claire smiled as a knock on his door, pulled his attention from her. "Sorry, love. Looks like I've got to go. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay," Claire said, "Be safe okay?"

"I'll do my best," Michael said, waving his hand over the mirror to cancel the call before turning towards the door. "Come in." The door cracked open at his call, and silently he watched as Harry and Neville entered his room. "What's up?"

"Harry and I were talking," Neville started, "We think that we need to take advantage over this weird stretch of peace time."

"Neville's already on board, but I'm not going to ask you to give up this moment of rest by force," Harry said. "We're planning on heading to search the Orphanage Tomorrow. I don't know if we'll find anything, but I don't feel right sitting around doing nothing." Harry's eyes locked with him as his head tilted, "Daphne and Astoria and meeting with Thatcher for Astoria's treatments tomorrow, so it'll be just the three of us."

"Just like old times," Michael said with a grin, "Gotta admit, I think I liked it more when we were pulling pranks, but I guess beggars can't be choosers." Harry and Neville's grins grew as he nodded, "Alright then, I'm in."

A/N: I hope you all really enjoyed this chapter, I know these chapters aren't exactly the most pleasant, but then again, they are at war. I hope you've enjoyed the development of Carmilla's character, but I also know people were probably in desperate Haphne withdrawals so I hoped this helped. If you did enjoy this, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but until next time, be safe, and Peace!