"Molly?" I called loudly as I banged on the door of the Burrow.

The calm summer wind blew by, gently causing my hair to billow away from my head and shoulders. I shivered as the breeze tickled the back of my neck, making the short hairs on my skin stand up. I turned, while waiting for someone to answer the door, to look out at the fields that surrounding the Weasley's home.

I was the only person standing in the proximity of the house, but there was something about my surroundings that made me uneasy. My stomach lurched as no one had yet to answer the door. It was about five in the afternoon, I was expecting someone to be home. I turned to the door and banged on it harshly with my balled fist again, this time, someone answered.

"Who is it?" called Molly's shaken voice.

I sighed with some relief.

"Cadence Coleman," I replied.

For a moment, no one said anything. The door remained shut, but I could hear shuffling and quiet voices behind it. Then, a voice I recognized spoke.

"Cadence?"

I smiled at the young masculine tone of Harry Potter's voice as it came at me through the door.

"Harry," I replied. "Hello."

"Where did we meet for the first time?"

"In Little Winging," I replied instantly. "I can't remember the exact name of the street, but we rode the Knight Bus together."

"What did you give me?"

I sighed with sadness. "A picture of your mother and me." I bit my bottom lip as thoughts of Lily Potter filled my head; how I missed her…how things would be so different if she were still alive.

"You ask a question now, Cadence," Molly's voice said. "To be sure…"

"Harry," I said softly. "Where were we when you confronted me about Sirius for the first time?"

"Hogwarts," he replied. "Professor Binn's classroom."

"Yes, that is correct."

The door opened instantly, revealing Harry in its frame, with Molly Weasley standing behind him.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "We just returned from Diagon Alley out of the fire."

"You went already?" I said surprised as I entered into the kitchen.

"Yes," Molly said as she moved around the kitchen, preparing a snack and some tea. I closed the door behind me and removed my cloak as I looked around the crowded, charming kitchen of the Burrow. "The letters came this morning, when I sent a note to your house, Gabriel said you had already left."

"You sent a note to the house?" I questioned in disbelief.

"Yes," Molly looked at me surprised. "Cadence, is something wrong?"

I frowned and slumped into a chair next to the kitchen table. Harry was standing by the fireplace, looking at me awkwardly, as if he didn't know if he should leave the room or not.

"Gabriel said you hadn't sent a note," I said softly. "I'm sorry Molly, if I had known I would have been over as soon as my meeting concluded with the Minister."

"Why would he lie to you?" Harry asked before Molly made a response. I looked at Harry with mild surprise in my eyes. I smiled. He had always distrusted Gabriel. It was never clear to me why, but perhaps he took Sirius' side in our family matters—Gabriel had replaced Sirius and therefore could not be trusted or liked. That, or Harry was just being sweet by finding it necessary to be protective of me.

"To keep me at the Ministry longer so we could finish our fight," I said easily. "He doesn't like it when I walk away and continue the fight later."

"What were you fighting about?" Molly asked.

I hesitated and looked at my hands that were resting on the tabletop. "Gabriel has been made head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Cadence! That is such good news!" Molly insisted with a happy smile as she placed cookies on a plate. She walked across the kitchen and set the plate on the table next to me and patted my shoulder with congratulations.

"I'm afraid I don't agree, Molly," I said quietly. "That is why we were fighting."

"Why?" Harry asked puzzled. He was still standing by the fireplace, looking grim and uncomfortable, with his black hair messy on his head and black rimmed glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. He was dressed smartly, which I'm sure was Molly's doing, in jeans and a black long sleeve shirt that fit him perfectly. He was growing into a very handsome young man. As I studied him, I realized that he no longer had that boyish look to his face and body. His shoulders were broader. He wasn't skinny or scrawny, but lean with defined muscles. And he was tall; taller then he had been at the Ministry a few months ago when Sirius died. Something had changed him in the last few months; made him grow up in some ways. But, I suppose that was true for all of us. We were all different now.

"Because I think it's a bad idea for him to be the head of a department," I replied. "For many reasons…it means he won't be in the field as an Auror doing work for the Ministry or with the Order of the Phoenix. He's a public figure now, he can't be caught running around with an illegal organization that is perceived as being anti-Ministry—"

"How is the Order considered illegal and anti-Ministry? If it weren't for Order the Ministry would probably still have its head up its ass about Voldemort!" Harry snapped angrily.

"Harry!" Molly scolded. I smirked and motioned for Harry to come sit down next to me at the table.

"It's fine, Molly," I shrugged.

"No it's not," she said strictly as the kettle started to whistle. "I'll call the others for tea and cookies, then I'll start dinner." She shuffled out of the room.

Harry sat down next to me and picked up a cookie off the plate. He broke it in half and began to eat it slowly.

"I understand your point," I said softly once we were alone in the kitchen. "And I do agree with you. But that doesn't change the fact that when we started fighting against Voldemort about a year ago, we were also operating against the Ministry because they didn't believe he had returned. Despite his public return, we are still viewed as anti-Ministry because we have been all along. It doesn't matter that we're both fighting for the same thing now."

"It should matter."

"Well," I frowned. "We operate differently as well, which is another reason why I think it is bad that Gabriel is the head of the department. He is bound by Ministry rules and regulations now, where in the Order we just use the rules and regulations of the Ministry as guidelines."

This made Harry frown at me with disapproval. I bit my bottom lip and sighed. "Anyways, I'm also concerned that because Gabriel is now the head, he will be in more danger from Voldemort. It is a miracle that he has been chosen. I thought he would never be chosen because of his past with Voldemort and his relationship with me. I'm sure that the papers are going to have a field day—some will speculate that he is working for my father and is now taking over the Ministry…it's just all too much, in my opinion. We have enough on our plates."

Harry nodded his head as he picked at the cookie he had broken apart. He looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was coming into the kitchen yet. When he looked back at me, he looked solemn, almost sad.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

"When will it get better?" he asked softly. "When will it pass?"

I frowned, knowing that he was referring to the pain of missing Sirius and Carrigan. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat before looking him straight in the eye.

"It will never pass, Harry," I whispered with a sad tone. "It will get better. I don't know when or how long it will take, but I do know it will get better once we find Carrigan. That will bring us one step closer to healing."

"But how do you manage it?" he asked quickly because people could be heard coming down the stairs. I smirked.

"I burn the world down," I replied. "But, there are much more responsible and sensible ways to manage your stress," I added quickly as people began to file into the kitchen. First was Ron, then Hermione behind him, then Ginny and Mrs. Weasley.

"Hi, Cadence," said Ron as he quickly took a seat next to Harry and grabbed a cookie off the plate.

"Hello, everyone," I said with a forced smile.

"Will you be staying for supper?" Molly asked with an instant tone.

"Yes," I answered immediately, because truthfully, I did not want to go home and wait for Gabriel to arrive. Especially at this point, it was completely possible that he was home already and steaming that I was not there for him to yell at.

I left the Ministry to be a snot; to defy him, his authority as the head of the department, and of course, the authority of the Ministry. As I had stated in my terms before accepting the new position, I was not interested in fulfilling anyone else's agenda but my own; and I was certainly not thrilled about being the Ministry's poster-girl or being used for my reputation and the fact that I was Voldemort's good, blood-betraying daughter. I was employed at the Ministry strictly as a consultant and (I believed anyway) that meant I did not answer to the head of the department, whoever he or she might be.

"How was Diagon Alley?" I asked the table as everyone quietly sat down after helping Molly prepare the food for supper. Molly was nervously looking at the clock; she was hoping that Arthur would be home by then. The clock showed that he was at the Ministry still, but it didn't seem to ease her mind as she continued to look at it.

"Fine," Hermione sad softly. "It was rather depressing actually. So many of the shops were boarded up. People were clearing the streets by the time we were heading out to leave…I suppose they don't like being out too late."

"I don't think people like being out at all," Molly said matter-of-factly. "We were lucky that Tonks and Remus were able to come with us."

"I'm surprised Remus was able to," I said. "Again, Molly, I'm sorry I couldn't. I really would have liked to."

"Don't worry about it, Cadence," Molly smiled at me across the table. "You were taking care of important matters."

"We went to Fred and George's new shop," Ginny said excitedly. "It's brilliant. I think Carrigan would have liked it."

"I'm sure she will like it when she gets the chance to see it," I responded.

"When do you think you'll find her?" Ginny asked, causing the room to fall oddly silent. I looked at her with sad eyes.

"I don't know, Ginny. I hope soon."

She nodded in understanding before returning to her dinner. I glanced at Harry, who was looking uncomfortable and sad. Before another word could be said, there was a knock at the kitchen door, which caused everyone to sit up tensely. Molly and I instantly stood, with our wands gripped tightly in our hands.

"Who is it?" Molly called as she approached the door.

"Gabriel Quintin," said the muffled voice behind the door. Molly stood up straight, her hand on the door handle and looked to me for approval.

"Dammit," I muttered and bit my bottom lip. I thought it would have taken him a little bit longer to find me.

"I heard that!" Gabriel snapped despite the door between us.

"Ask him something before he breaks the door down," Harry said quickly. I rolled my eyes as I tucked my wand away and crossed my arms to think of a question. If it had been our front door, I'm sure Gabriel would have added a few cuss words and a swift kick to the door, but since we were at the Burrow Gabriel was restraining himself from breaking down the door.

I approached the door slowly. Molly moved away with her wand still tightly grasped in her hand.

"Today, in the lift you called me?"

"An intolerable and insubordinate woman, but anyone on the floor could have heard me say that and I'm sure many people have called you that before, try another."

"Seriously?" I growled as I stared at the ceiling. He had to be kidding. Now I wanted to kick the door with frustration.

"Cadence!"

"When was the first time I told you I loved you?" I asked as I looked at the door with a small sentimental smile.

"You never had to say it," he replied through the door. My heart melted into mush. Gabriel always had the uncanny way of breaking me down and putting me back together. He was right, of course. I never had to tell him I loved him. He always knew, even when I was in denial and he ignored his feelings. "But, you told me in the graveyard by my mother's grave. Who was there with us?"

"Alessandro," I pulled the door open immediately with a beaming smile. Gabriel stepped forward and we engulfed each other with a tight embrace. I buried my head against his chest while my arms wrapped around his broad muscular shoulders. I felt his arms around my waist and his large hands on my back with his fingers brushing against me softly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered against him. "I'm sorry for today."

He stepped back with surprise and brushed my wild brown curls behind my ear. "My dear Cadence, you never cease to amaze me. I'm sorry too. I realize now that this decision was something that affects our relationship and our family; I should have taken the time to speak to you about it before accepting the job."

I looked at him with raised eyebrows. "That's not really why I'm mad," I said awkwardly.

"I know," he said with a shrug. "I just thought I would try it out so we didn't become uncivil with each other in front of everyone."

I rolled my eyes and stepped back into the kitchen, where everyone was staring at us. "What?" I questioned.

"We were hoping you'd fight or something…" Ron shrugged. "Take it to blows."

"We're more mature then that," I said matter-of-factly.

"One of us is," Gabriel said quickly with a scowl.

I turned a nasty glare in his direction, which made him smile. "Let's go home," he said. "We have not finished discussing any of this and there are some work things we need to discuss in private."

"How long did it take you to find me?" I asked.

"Not very long. When you didn't come to my office within an hour, I knew you had left. When you weren't at home, I knew you would be here because Harry is here."

"You're so smart," I said sarcastically. "Thank you, Molly for dinner and the company."

"Anytime, Cadence," Molly replied with a smile.

I bowed my head to her before waving and biding everyone else good-bye.

"Good bye Cadence," Harry said as he stood from his chair. I pulled him into a warm embrace quickly and kissed his forehead. He didn't say anything else as he pulled out of my arms.

"Good bye," I whispered. He excused himself from the kitchen, which left me feeling empty and depressed. Obviously, Harry was having a hard time managing the loss of Sirius and Carrigan. I glanced at Hermione, Ron and Ginny at the table. "Look out for him," I advised.

"Of course," Hermione said instantly.

"He's fine," Ron shrugged. Every woman looked at him with scowling glares, which caused his ears to flush red. "But we'll look after him either way."

I nodded my head firmly and turned to Gabriel. "Shall we?" I motioned to the door. He stepped forward and grabbed me fiercely around the waist, pulling me tightly against his body and looking down at me with hungry, sexually charged eyes. I could only smile up at him.

"We shall," he said with cheek. I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around his shoulders so that he could Apparate us from the kitchen of the Burrow.

When we appeared in the center of our own kitchen, I slipped out of Gabriel's arms. He looked at me seriously, with an intense studying looking in his eyes. For a moment, I thought that he was sad or disappointed.

"I am sorry," I said as I folded my hands behind my back. "For everything that happened today. I was upset…I still am, a bit…and I didn't want to give you the pleasure of being able to control me."

"It's never a pleasure to be the person in charge of you, Cadence," he said sternly. "You always manage to make it difficult for anybody who is your superior."

"So, I have a serious issue with authority. Just another reason why I'm not cut out for the Ministry."

"It doesn't matter if you're cut out for them or not," Gabriel said as he moved around the kitchen, pacing. "We need your help—I need your help."

"The Order needs your help," I responded with some bite. "I need your help finding Carrigan!"

"You won't let me help you," he said angrily. I frowned. So, we were going to have this fight again? "Every time we move forward, we end up moving back even farther—"

"What does that even mean?" I questioned quickly with a harsh tone that caused the countertops to vibrate violently as if an earthquake was threatening to shake the entire house. Gabriel looked at me sharply with a flash in his dark eyes; it was not a lustful flash of passion. His dark green eyes were staring at me with a dangerous warning glare. His body was rigid and muscles tense.

"You let me in a little bit, you let me help you a little bit, but as soon as I do something that you don't like or isn't the way you want to do something you completely pull back. I can't help you find Carrigan if you don't let me!" he growled.

I knew he wanted to yell or scream, maybe break something. I felt the same way. The countertops were still vibrating. My rage was pumping through my body and spreading through the room like a nasty energy infecting my surroundings. As I stood still, tensed and glaring at Gabriel while he lectured me, the countertops continued to hum, the wooden cabinet doors began to shake and rattle against the frames of the cupboards and the floor boards began to quake.

My vision began to blur as rage bubbled in my system. I felt out of control—overwhelmed and completely out of control. A pain spasm shot through my head. I cried out and grabbed my skull as I curled over, tucking my chest to my knees and crouching down on the floor.

"CADENCE!"

A violent explosion erupted through the kitchen. An electric blue shock wave emanated from the center of my body and flew out away from me. It expanded through the kitchen, flattening and ripping apart anything in its path. The cabinets exploded, dishes and glasses went shattering through the air, the pipes in the wall split open and allowed water to spray in every direction; the floor boards rippled away from me, like a wave of wood and nails sailing and crashing down onto the foundation.

I exhaled and sucked in a long cold breath; it felt like I had been underwater, holding my breath as I was being forced to suffocate. I looked up from the floor that I was now laying on and shuttered. My head throbbed in agony while I blinked and stared up at the cracked ceiling over me. My vision began to clear despite the stars I was seeing. I must have hit my head when I tumbled over in the explosion. My arms were extended out around me; my head felt heavy and ached; perhaps I had blacked out. I could fell something clutching my right hand. I rolled my head to the side, pressing my cheek against the loose floorboard that I had fallen on and looked to see Gabriel grasping my hand. Broken pieces of wood and glass lay on him. There was a cut on his forehead with blood running down his tanned skin. His eyes were shut and from my angle I could not tell if he was breathing.

I sighed in pain as I rolled completely on my side and shook his hand, hoping to wake him.

"Gabriel," I gasped as I continued to shake his hand. I began to sit up and crawled towards him. I shoved the broken remains of a few cabinet doors off him. I cut my arm on a stray piece of glass, but barely felt it. The only thing I could feel was the hole forming in my stomach as I looked at Gabriel's still body.

He coughed violently and rolled onto his back with an aggravated sigh. I relaxed immediately. For a few moments, I thought I had killed him. I would never forgive myself if that happened.

"I'm sorry," I said with a shaky voice. "I'm so sorry."

Gabriel sat up while shoving more debris off his body. He looked around the kitchen, taking in the destruction, then turned his glaring eyes at me. I frowned and tucked my messy curls behind my ear. As he glared at me, my body hardened and I looked up at him with a vicious stare. Our eyes burned at each other with loathing, frustration and anger.

The sound of the front door opening and closing broke the silence that had fallen between Gabriel and I. I blinked, breaking our stare, and looked to the entrance of the kitchen where Benjamin Snow's figure appeared.

"Cadence! Gabriel!" he said in shock. He rushed forward; jumping over the flipped tabled and broken chairs, and came straight to my side. "What the hell happened?"

"Cadence destroyed the kitchen," Gabriel sad ruthlessly as he stood up. He didn't look at me and moved out of the kitchen without another word. I sat back against the remains of the counters and looked at the ground. I felt completely defeated. Everything that happened in the last few months struck me at once, like a pile of bricks had been dropped on me and I was buried, suffocating below them with stars dancing over my dizzy head.

I heard a loud crack come from the living room. It meant that Gabriel had left. He had Disapparated from the house. Tears began to run down my cheeks, but I wiped them away quickly. Benjamin bent down to me and took my forearm.

"Come on," he whispered. "Up you get."

He pulled me to stand and released my arm. "Who do you love?" I asked softly as I tried to hold in the rest of my tears that wanted to pour from my tear ducts.

"Carrigan," he responded instantly to my security question. "I'll clean it up."

"Thanks," I muttered as I moved away from him and towards the hall that lead to the front of the house. I paused at the doorframe and turned back to Benjamin. "Do me a favor."

"A favor?" Benjamin looked bewildered.

"When we find Carrigan," I whispered very slowly as I sucked in a long breath. "Let her complete her training and keep your feelings to yourself. You don't want to be in a volatile relationship like this."

I didn't give him a chance to agree to my commands. I pivoted and stumbled out of the kitchen. I paused for a moment at the front of the house to make sure that I had all of my weapons and wand on me. I fixed my cloak and opened the front door.

Outside, the summer night air was warm and welcoming. Dusk had fallen; the western horizon was glowing dark yellow and bright orange and the sky high above me was dark royal blue with speckles of white shining stars. I smiled as I thought of the stars and Sirius; even though I could not see Orion or Sirius in the sky yet, I knew they were out there. Sirius, the dog star, was always present in the night sky even when I couldn't see it, much like Sirius was always present in my life even when I couldn't see him. I suppose, that hadn't changed. I knew that Sirius was still out there looking after me and Carrigan, even though he was very far away beyond a veil that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead.

When I thought of Sirius, I immediately began to think of Carrigan. I imagined her standing before me, looking up at the new house that Gabriel had built for us with his bare hands and wand. Her midnight blue eyes would look at it with awe and pride while the summer breeze teased her chestnut brown curls away from her face and neck. I knew that she would be proud of Gabriel for what he had achieved…she'd be proud that he was named head of the department…she was so much better then me; she was pure and honest, while also being intelligent and aware of her reality. She would have been happy for Gabriel, and even if she wasn't happy, she would have kept her anger or frustration to herself.

I took a long breath and stepped down from the porch as I Apparated. It was time to get some work done. My day had been wasted at the Ministry. I need to get out on the streets, hunt some Death Eaters and look for answers to the many questions that surrounded the kidnappings of young women in the city, including Carrigan.