"We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided."

~ Albus Dumbledore


Chapter 42 ~ The Betting Pool


ECOTS


The Gryffindor common room was eerily quiet, a small group gathered on the couches and whispering. Textbooks lay scattered haphazardly and open on various surfaces, but no one was paying attention to them.

"How long do you reckon they've been up there?" Neville asked warily. He sounded as if he regretted asking it already, but morbid curiosity and concern had gotten the better of him.

Fred Weasley, who had stuck around, reclined in an obnoxiously large arm chair that he'd transfigured out of some poor sod's cat and let out a low whistle. "Who would of thought Harry had it in him?"

"I'm torn," Dean stated dourly, "between slugging him and high fiving him."

"Oi! O'twin o'mine! What's the count?"

"Thirteen hours and eleven minutes!" George had sprawled himself out on the stairwell to get a better view of the doorway leading to the abandoned seventh year boy's dormitory, a pair of magical binoculars conjured in hand. He had taken a certain disturbing amount of glee in acting as the group's alleged scout. As Fred had already pointed out though, there was a fine line between war scout and peeping Tom.

George had just grinned maniacally and threatened to change his middle name to Thomas.

"Thirteen," Fred let out another low whistle. "What do ya reckon Nevs? Think he's still alive up there or should we send an advance guard to check?"

Ginny, perched on top of a table alongside the Muggle girl, frowned. "You don't think she'd actually kill him?"

Malana tossed her dark hair behind her shoulders, scoffing loudly. "If the jerk I was dating didn't come see me for a few days then accused me of cheating with," her eyes shot towards Dean, expression conveying that she wouldn't touch him even if he were the last man on Earth, " him, I'd torture him first." As Dean was opening his mouth to make an offended sound, a large buck knife appeared out of nowhere in the girl's hand, a sly smile crossing her lips. "You know…get him where it really hurts."

Fred, Dean, and Neville recoiled so fast that the latter two of the three actually fell out of their chairs. Ginny just rolled her eyes. "Morons."

Fred just eyed Malana from his objectionably orange and neon green seat, looking somewhat awed. "You're perfect," he praised in terrified reverence. "George can have you."

Malana just smirked, putting her knife back so fast that no one actually saw where it went.

"George can have what?" called the other half of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, odd corkscrews extending out from the binoculars and spinning like a drill.

"The hot chick, whom has recently grown homicidal towards male genitalia."

George lifted a fist and gave a solitary, out-of-place victory pump into the air, while Fred and Ginny both stared at him oddly. "Yeah," Fred observed to his sister, "mum's getting no grandkids out of that one."

"Probably best for humanity really," Ginny agreed.

"So…where were we?"

"Contemplating sending an advance party up there to check for either proof of life before Hermione gets back?"

Neville and Dean both simultaneously grunted. Malana leaned back on her hands, her feet dangling off the table alongside Ginny's, and let out a sigh. "Which one of those two was I supposed to be worried about again?"

Fred, George, Ginny, Neville, Dean, and even Luna all simultaneously responded, "Harry!"

From across the common room, underneath an invisibility cloak, Harry let out a low growl. "Why do I feel like this is a general commentary on their faith in me as a person?" he drawled.

Underneath the other side of the cloak, Kalliandra was having considerable trouble suppressing a smirk. "Possibly because they're all in agreement that you'd get your ass kicked by a girl?" she ventured, hazel gaze darting towards him, her fingers tightening around her corner of the velvety fabric hiding them.

The look Potter shot her, mere centimeters away, could have withered unsuspecting plants on the spot. "Not," he growled, "helping."

Kally gnawed contemplatively on the corner of her mouth, as if thinking over a very serious matter. "You know I forget," she feigned innocently, "was I supposed to be?"

Potter skillfully ignored her, his malachite gaze once again fixated on the others. "Laugh it up," he drawled, "but George just placed a bet on whether or not I got into your pa-"

She stomped on his foot, hard.

The strangled sound he made was akin to a dying animal. Kally just glared. "Ah, so that's what a bleeding manticore being smothered sounds like. You know I always wonde-"

Potter's mouth smashed over hers, it her turn to make a startled sound. That lasted all of a second. The velvety fabric brushed against her face as Potter tugged her close, the cloak tangling around them both, a far more agreeable sound escaping her lips.

Harry's fingers rhythmically moved along her side, Kally's free hand slithering up his chest, fingers curling against his shirt. Seizing his lower lip, nibbling just a bit harder than needed, his disgruntled growl sent her shaking with light laughter.

Abruptly she was seized, his arm snaking around her back and tugging her to him hard, Potter's teeth now biting down on her lower lip, tongue silently requesting permission.

Kally gave it willingly.

Neither of them dared move beyond the fervor of their mouths. They'd already learned that trying tomaneuver under an invisibility cloak whilst snogging didn't exactly work, the two of them having tripped and crashed into a suit of armor earlier that very day, Potter nearly impaling himself on an overly polished broad sword.

His mouth broke away from hers with a quiet sort of violence, his green eyes intense as he panted, "Violent witch."

Catching her own breath she nudged his nose with her own, muttering, "Not a witch." Her heart was racing, the feel of his fingers flexing against her back making her feel things she probably shouldn't, and yet…

She was.

This time Potter's lips pressed to hers almost chastely, the kiss less frenzied, more calm. The sound of his indrawn breath after sent her eyes fluttering hazily open, finding his cutting green staring back.

"So," he whispered almost menacingly, "what do we do about our idiot friends prone to placing bets on us?"

As if on cue, they heard Luna actually raise Fred's wager that Harry hadn't.

Kally's mouth fell open, seriously contemplating trying to hex one or perhaps all of them, taking a step forward-

Harry caught her, tugging her back and firmly against him, smirking. "No, you can't kill her," he drawled far too casually, Kally shooting him an irritated look now. Potter just met it with a raised eyebrow. "Come on Kaylens, have a heart," he dryly told. "Got to feel bad for her a bit. She just got out of the hospital wing and placed a losing bet."

She found herself making a sputtering sound, Potter's hand suddenly over her mouth. The damnable wizard was actually smirking at her! "What?" he questioned, keeping his tone quiet enough to not be heard and still managing to sound completely innocent. "I didn't say I toldthem that. But if we're going by the honor system…"

Swatting his hand away, Harry just snared her fingers between his, leaving her to shoot him a withering glare of her own. She couldn't even properly yell at him: he was right.

The way Potter's hands had felt on her, fingers sliding up her leg, beneath her skirt, the sodding way his mouth had moved over her own, the belt that was still missing even though it'd now been weeks….

A shiver moved through her.

Luna had definitely placed a losing bet.

Potter was still too cavalier, Kalliandra still feeling as if her face was going through several different expressions rather quickly - judging by Potter's increasing look of amusement – so she settled on hissing half-heartedly at him.

Harry just raised his eyebrows, adjusting slightly to keep the cloak covering them. "Parsletongue eh? You know I don't know that exact 'come on' phrase but-"

He was incorrigible."Parsletongue? What kind of come on is that?"

If possible his smirk grew more. "It's not. It's the language spoken by serpents." Sticking his tongue out and making a hissing sound that had her brow seriously furrow in shock, she wasn't even given a second to process that.

Instead Potter was quick to gesture between them as if it were totally normal for him to sound like he was turning into a snake. "Remind me to catch you up on that later, when we're not trying to sneak past a bunch of nosy-"

"Perverts?" she supplied, still eyeing him with mild concern.

Potter didn't miss a beat, ignored the look she was giving him, and finished, "To get back to the dorms."

She let out a breath that sent strands of hair that had been hanging in her face flying. Then, growing silent, observing his very close face beneath his cloak, she found that his good mood was infectious.

It'd been over a month since the retrieval team she'd been a part of had been sent into Dublin. They had all spent five days in Dublin. The immune within their group had spent two weeks in Quarantine, while her, Regulus, Fred and George – the non-immune - had been forced to spend a month, just to be sure that none of them were still even remotely infected with it.

Snape had donated some rats to cohabitate with them for the cause, just to see if they'd get sick from living around them. Kally still thought he hadn't needed to seem so gleeful about it.

Before the Potion's Professor had a chance to leave Fred and George had immediately turned all the rats varying shades of neon.

Potter, true to his sodding word had actually stayed in the hospital wing with them, right up until Professor McGonagall had shown up and hauled him bodily out by his literal ear.

Apparently just because the world was ending didn't excuse him, or any of the rest of them, from their studies and training. They'd all wound up with piles of books on dark magic and counter curses to comb through, while Kalliandra had a sickening number of potions books tossed at her.

She and Potter had wound up sitting cross legged on the cold hospital wing floor, across from one another on either side of the quarantine-barrier, just reading half the time. The wizard had subjected himself to a lot of discomfort while studying, just to study by her.

Feeling his grip flex against her spine, sucking in a breath at his proximity, at what he did to her by just being near, Kalliandra wondered why she'd been surprised.

Something in her was still surprised by him, continually.

It hadn't taken long for the non-quarantined part of the hospital wing to become a circus. Snape, that sick and twisted bastard, had started showing up to do pop quizzes with her. Regulus had kept up a running commentary on how boringly drab the Potions Professor's style of tutelage was, coming up with his own test questions.

It'd resulted in a strange game of one-upmanship between the two, each trying to think of increasingly difficult potions scenarios to throw at her.

She'd spent a fair amount of time groaning and trying to smack her head into a book's bindings. It still hadn't rendered her unconscious.

Potter had laughed.

She had resolved to find a way to hex him if it was the last thing she did.

Potter had still shown up daily, despite her verbalization of this new life goal.

They'd been forced to talk through the quarantine barrier. Talk. Just talk.

That went a long way to explain why the second she'd been released, why Potter had snared her around the waist, shoving her up against the hospital wing wall, his mouth instantly on hers, the wizard making certain she remembered that he hadn't been being arrogant when he'd said that this was the part he was good at when it came to her.

Regulus had stormed out in a frenzy of profanities.

As soon as they were forced by the basic need for oxygen to part, pausing only long enough to catch their breath, Potter had warned that no one should bother looking for either of them until the weekend was over. That had rapidly resulted in them winding up back in the abandoned seventh year boy's dorms.

She was surprised either of their shirts had remained on until the door had actually closed.

She was even more surprised when Potter had kissed her. Just kissed her. He'd drug her against his chest and not stopped for well over an hour.

Then he'd drug her into bed with him, tugged her against his side, and they'd talked. Eventually sleep had been briefly involved, Kalliandra waking up with his mouth once again upon hers.

That was it. It'd been night by then, so they'd eventually snuck out under his invisibility cloak to go snag some long-needed food from the kitchens. That had resulted in a whole new type of experience, given she now knew that real life garden gnomes that talked and had floppy, elf-like ears were real. House elves…apparently.

They'd spent awhile in the kitchens, snacking, talking, Potter brutally mocking her for the way she was staring at the elves. There may have been some flung pastries involved. And now…

Now they'd come back, it still rather early in the morning, to find their housemates and fellow Order members not only awake and gathered in the common room, but adamantly trying to decide between two possibilities: they assumed she had either killed Potter, or that they were having all kinds of sex while the Professors were otherwise occupied.

Judging by the board Dean was holding and the pile of sickles on the table, they were placing bets on it.

"You do realize," she murmured dangerously, "that you are a wizard and could hex them?"

Potter's chest, very close to her own, rumbled with dry humor. "Come up with a way to do that and keep you to myself for another day, Kaylens, and consider it done."

Huffing a breath, her eyes narrowed at his bemused one.

Beneath the cloak, Potter's smirk just grew more. "You know…maybe I should get in on that pool," he told lowly. "Pretty sure I might be able to swing a win one way or the other."

Then the idiot lifted a challenging eyebrow, smirking suggestively.

Once more she found herself pointedly stomping on his toe, quirking an eyebrow of her own right back as Potter winced, shooting her a wounded look. "See? Violent."

Kalliandra merely growled.

"What? I never said which way I'd be betting."

She growled again.

Potter's arm slid around her waist, tugging her even closer. Feeling his mouth mere centimeters from her own, Kally went very still, breathing hitched.

"Fine," he gutturally confessed, "we both know which way I'd be betting." Mouth brushing against hers with every uttered word, maddeningly not claiming her lips, he lowly pressed, "The killing one. Of course."

Slowly, something changed in his presence. The way his hands went unnaturally still upon her, his brow lowering against hers…it sent her heart racing. "Unless you didn't mind the stripping option," he lowly questioned voice ragged, hoarse.

His body pressed against hers, his cloak enveloping and concealing them both…

Something in her chest was maddeningly twisting. Kalliandra brushed her mouth gently against Potter's, not seizing his lips, content to hover exasperatingly close. "I can't decide," she breathed, his mouth temptingly near, "if I should be offended or not."

"Not," he grated, "definitely not."

The cloak he'd been securely holding around them dropped on top of her head, Kally's hold upon it now the only thing keeping it from slipping completely off and exposing them. Potter barely seemed to notice, as if he'd forgotten that they were sheltering out of sight, under an invisibility cloak, in the farthest corner of a crowded common room.

Instead his newly freed hand was on her face, calloused palm sliding through her hair to the back of her head, his fingers flexing gently against the base of her skull. The slightest of touches from him could send her entire form quaking, her eyes peering upwards to him, finding an unbreakable malachite gaze looking right back.

She wanted more.

Clenching her fingers tighter against the front of his shirt, the hard muscles of his chest beneath her fingertips, she found that the fabric did nothing to hide his form from her. The agreeable groan Potter made…it was rattling, realizing that he was hers to touch if she so wanted.

Merlin but she did.

Fingers tightening around the invisibility cloak, her precarious hold the only thing preventing it from slipping off. Kalliandra didn't want their proximity to end.

Hovering so close to him, not kissing, not speaking, just lingering in one another's space, privately in a room full of people, his warm breath ghosting across her lips…it was exhilarating.

Potter's hand began roaming, sliding with maddening slowness down her neck, fingers moving against her skin in a way that had her murmuring agreeably. Her core was shaken, Kally pressing closer to him, trying to feel every part of him press against her.

Potter was right. He'd need to bet the other way. The knowledge that she was amenable to doing this with him shaking her.

Kalliandra wanted Potter.

Harry was still looking at her, a strange look shadowing his face. "Never offensive," he reiterated, voice roughened. His fingers roamed, finding her earlobe, lingering, even that slight touch exasperatingly not enough. Breathing difficult, Kally finding her heart racing too fast, her eyes fluttered shut.

Once more his fingers were roaming, moving with a maddening slowness to her jawline, tracing the outline in a manner that had her eyes fluttering back open, regarding him. "Just spent," he ground gutturally, "the better part of a month sitting on a hospital floor, that I know for a fact has been covered in blood and worse," Potter's jawline turned with subtle, dark humor, "just so I could be near you."

His callused hand continued its infuriatingly slow path, fingertips now tracing her mouth, her lips parting silently.

Kalliandra waited, saying,doing nothingwhile he quietly looked at her with that vexingly unreadable expression. For a long time Potter merely watched her, gently caressing her face, leaving her unable to utter a solitary word. He'd wanted to be near her…

"You're clever enough Kaylens," he finally, lowly whispered, "pretty sure you'll figure it out."

He was so close that she could smell the soap he'd used, its scent against his skindistracting. "Figure out what?" she whispered back, needing him to finish.

Potter didn't. He uttered no response. Absolutely nothing. Instead he looked at her with an intensity she'd rarely seen, the curve to his mouth betraying that he was privy to something that she wasn't, his fingers gently tracing her lips.

It was infuriating.

"You're smirking," she quietly accused, her words only enticing his smirk to grow.

Harry's hand moved, smoothing a strand of hair out of her eyes and giving it a pointed tug. "What's the matter, Kaylens?" he whispered. "Nervous?"

"Hmph."

To her surprise he laughed lowly, his mouth suddenly against her ear, words so close. "Ought to be," he muttered roughly, "plan to keep you around." Head turning, his lips now pressing against her earlobe, he growled, "Assuming you'll let me. You are a bit violent."

Wetting her lips, standing so still, disbelieving understanding coursing through her, she half-whispered, "And to think…I was so mad at you."

Potter's hand went still on her face, his fingers coming to rest once more on her ear, the wizard giving it a slight tweak as he pulled back, ever-so-slightly, so as to once again regard her beneath the invisibility cloak. Somewhere, dimly in the background, she could hear Luna philosophizing about ley lines.

Potter's green gaze studied her intently, it so serious, so keen that it was clear he no longer heard anyone but her. "Would you have been so mad," he honestly questioned, velvety fabric brushing against them, "if you didn't?"

Eyes closing without her permission, she felt his mouth descending near her own, almost there... "Didn't what?" she breathed softly.

His lips lightly brushed against her own, Potter so close, yet waiting. Kally's breathing slowed, hanging on what he said next.

"Don't," he growled, "make me say it."

Words he'd uttered to her more than once…

An unbidden, breathless laugh escaped from between her lips. "Perish the thought."

Her light laughter was met with a low rumbling from him, and this time…

This time Potter didn't tease, his mouth finding hers, his teeth tugging on her lower lip as if decidedly determined to taste every centimeter of her mouth.

A quiet murmur expelled from between her lips, her fingers coiling in his cloak, needing him closer. Kalliandra breathed him in, reveling in his taste, the fact that she'd missed this, been sodding deprived of this for over a month

She'd been furious with him beyond what she should have been.

Somewhere between her mouth and his, between ignoring the sound of George scoffing over Luna's next bet and Fred guffawing, Potter's question came back to her.

Assuming she wouldn't mind….

She wouldn't.

A want filled he'd placed money on it she'd have to kill him, but as her hand went sliding down his chest, the way he now seized her mouth had something within her twisting, something burning, her heart furiously moving as things she hadn't considered, hadn't dared want coursed through her.

Things like him.

"Remind me," she mumbled against his mouth, Potter already nodding against her, as if he'd agree to anything without even hearing it, "to hex you," mouth pressing to his, "later." Much later.

He grunted in response, the sounds of the others talking farther off near the common room fireplace growing even dimmer.

His hands were everywhere.

Somehow Potter had forgotten his own rule – no kissing and walking beneath the invisibility cloak at the same time, the wizard pulling her urgently with him, towards the stairs, their plan to get around George entirely unformed and uncared about. Kally did her best to hold onto the cloak.

Back thumping against the banister, a muffled laugh escaped her, Potter shushing her by instantly pressing his mouth more firmly against hers.

George had already looked up though, looking curious. Potter froze all but the movement of his mouth upon hers, his grip squeezing hard on her arm, the contact his wordless plea for her to be very, very still. Stair rail digging against her spine, Potter pressing against her in sodding torturous ways, she nodded silently against him.

Not once had he stopped kissing her, the wizard apparently determined to avoid the loss of contact at any cost. The taste of him…

A nearby sound sent Kally's eyes cracking open, finding that George had moved, already tilting his head inquisitively in their direction. The twin's eyes could not see them, but they were scanning the common room with suspicion.

George started to get up, Potter's hand rising, sliding alongside her face and pointedly applying pressure, turning her attention away from the Weasley twin and back onto himself.

Letting out a slightly amused breath, she parted her lips to protest, only for Potter's fingers to flick dismissively in the Weasley's direction.

A book from across the room flew, landing on the ground behind George, the twin jerking around to look.

Potter had already fiercely grabbed back onto her with both hands, his wandless magic so casual, so easy that it was maddening to one deprived of it like herself.

It was also hot. There was no way around it.

Potter was hot.

Kalliandra reached up and grabbed his face, Potter already tugging her off the banister and moving her up the stairs while George was preoccupied.

"They still up there then?"

Potter and her both froze instantly, George not two meters off, Remus Lupin striding into the common room with an annoyed expression.

He, like George, was looking straight up the stairwell towards where she and Harry were thought to already be.

"Thinkin' so," George greeted, walking up to Remus and snaring him by the wrist in a strange form of male handshake. "Going on nearly fourteen hours. Gotta hand it to the kid, he's got stamina."

"Or he's just dead," Dean suggested, sounding hopeful.

"It is ira mating season. Maybe their mating telepathy crossed to Harry accidentally," Luna said dreamily.

Remus' expression grew, if possible, even more annoyed.

Kally watched the exchange from around Harry's shoulder, his grip on her redoubled at the sudden activity nearby them. It was one thing when they'd been across the common room, but now mere meters…

Breathing swiftly, trying to stay quiet, was a task. Beneath the cloak Potter caught her eyes, mouthing move very quietly.

Her lips twitched, Kally mouthing back he's going to kill you.

The look Potter shot her was unamused, the wizard still looking as flushed as she felt. Still…she found herself moving with him slowly. This time they were moving away from the stairs, hoping to get out of the common room before Remus either discovered them or stormed the dorm to find they weren't actually there.

Yes…that would be a better option. Then the rest of the Phoenixes and Dean would just appear insane and Potter might actually live.

They hadn't gotten far when Remus let out an audible grunt, storming over towards the table where the others all hung about placing uncouth bets, a stern set to his jaw. Fred Weasley started to slowly slide the betting boad out of sight, Ginny inching backwards, anticipating the explosion.

Remus Lupin reached into the pocket of his robes, yanking something out so swiftly that it'd have sent the followers of Voldemort ducking for cover. Fred actually did shout and duck, yanking Ginny in front of him in one swift motion that sent his sister smacking him hard.

Remus sent them both a harsh look. "I've seen Ginny's bat boogey hexes, Frederick. I would caution against using her as body armor in the future, lest she decide to use it when we were all looking the other way." He shot Ginny a wink, then abruptly thudded several sickles down hard onto the table, the clanking filling the silent common room. "Put me down," he stated levelly, "for square four."

Fred, George, Ginny and Neville all stared at him with wide eyes, before the twins both guffawed. "You're never gonna win with four."

Remus just met Fred's gaze head on, smirking uncharacteristically. "Want to bet?"

Fred shrugged, grabbing the board and quill and scrawling Remus down. "You're loss, Wolfmeister. But I'm on a role with these two. Guarantee that I'm gonna win this round too."

Remus ignored him, calmly interrupting, "Tonks would like square six." A grouping of galleons was unearthed and thunked down.

At some point Harry had stopped, Kally thudding into his chest and hissing, but he was just staring, mouth agape. "Is he actually…."

"Yeah," she muttered, just as shocked. Shooting Potter a cursory glance she reached up and closed his jaw for him. He thanked her by making an incomprehensible sputtering sound. "At least," she whispered, "he's not planning to kill you."

As if hearing her Remus spun around, rolling his neck and shoulders, before cracking his knuckles. "Alright, those two have had long enough. Time me."

The wizard started up the stairs with a determined, steely glint in his eye, wand out, Kally realizing that she'd been wrong: he was still planning to kill Potter.

Besides her Harry made a choked sound. "I'm a dead man."

She winced. "Think positive…maybe he's just planning on some slight maiming."

Potter turned to regard her with utter disbelief, leaving her to shrug with one shoulder helplessly. "Well what do you want to-"

With a groan he'd pressed his mouth hard to hers once more, the kiss short, truncated, and leaving her barely able to breath.

She had barely managed to open her eyes when Harry had tugged the cloak off their heads, his expression seriously irritated. "Betting squares? Seriously?" thrown out at the room's occupants.

Ginny let out a started squeak, actually falling off the table. Neville tried – unsuccessfully – to catch Ginny. Remus stopped mid-stride, halfway up the stairwell, looking mildly amused.

Dean just looked seriously disappointed, as if Harry appearing alive and well had disrupted his day.

"Damn," Dean stated, shooting her a wounded look. "Did you have to leave all his limbs intact?"

Kally found herself glaring Dean Thomas down, while Luna just smiled serenely. "Why hello, Harry. I was wondering why the carpeting was indented."

Kally blinked, yanked her murderous attentions away from Dean, and glanced down, seeing that their feet had left large indents in the thick rugs of the common room. A trail of their footprints was actually there. Invisibility cloak or not, that sure as hell hadn't been hidden. She made a quick mental note that Luna was impossibly observant and that she ought to be on the next stealth mission they had.

Harry just blinked owlishly. "Uh-right," he said glibly, before turning an angered look back on the twins.

George let out a nervous laugh, Fred merely reclining farther back into his shockingly neon armchair and grinning more broadly. "Why there ya are, Harry. If you have a minute would ya mind coming over here and confirming for us which one of us won the squaaAAHHH!"

Ginny had launched herself off the floor and swiftly grabbed Fred by the ear, pulling hard before her brother could finish his sentence. Quickly brushing her hair out of her eyes she sent them an innocent smile. "Harry, Kally," she said hurriedly. "Did you both get breakfast yet? We were about to head down."

The look Potter shot her probably matched her own, only Harry actually growled carnivorously.

Ginny just smiled apologetically, releasing Fred's ear and sighing. "What? Fine. I needed money for a new broom and nicking it off these two seemed the easiest way, alright?"

Potter outright groaned, Kally just inclining a skeptical eyebrow at them as she tugged the cloak completely off the now catatonic Potter and draped it over her arm. "Well, can't fault her for honesty," she pointed out.

Now Harry shot her a look.

She offered him a half-smile, shrugging helplessly. "Well you're the one who yanked the cloak off. I was perfectly happy to keep hiding."

Potter shook his head at her, then turned a slightly evil look back on the others. "Alright," he stated dangerously, releasing his hold on her. "Let's see the squares board. I want to know which one of you to hex first."

Immediately Fred's eyes widened and he scrambled for the board to hide it.

Harry let out an almost predatory snarl, stalking forward-

Remus, however, had decided to intervene before bloodshed occurred. "Harry, Kalliandra," he stated severely, leaning on the railing and eyeing them both seriously. "So glad to see you both amongst the living. Now why don't you both come with me to discuss appropriate versus inappropriate house activities during times of short staffing."

Both her and Potter stared at Remus in silence for precisely five seconds.

Then Kalliandra realized that if she harbored any hope of Harry not dying this year that one of them should probably hurry up and talk. "Remus we took a nap and nicked food from house elves."

Harry snorted derisively, adding under his breath, "Amongst other things."

Her head whipped around so fast that her hair actually hit him in the face. "Not helping," she hissed.

This time Potter was the one to shoot a devil-may-care look. "Wasn't trying to," he said shamelessly, gesturing at Remus. "You seriously think Mooney doesn't know we were making out up there? Come on Kaylens, he's a Marauder. They invented the abandoned dorm move."

Before she'd had half a chance to try to hex him with her pathetic pre-magicked wand, Potter had turned back to Remus, looking up towards where the werewolf stood on the stairs. "Seriously Mooney, Sirius taught me better manners with girls than that lot has apparently learned. We really were getting food."

She seriously wondered how he seemed so utterly calm when he'd been sputtering about how Remus was going to kill him not seconds before. No wonder he could face down Voldemort – he was excellent at hiding sheet and utter panic.

"Besides Mooney," Harry casually added, "isn't it frowned upon for Professors to bet on whether or not their students are shagging?"

Now Kally really did choke, a look passing over Remus' face that could have meant certain death or repressed amusement. She hoped the former. She really hoped the former. Then she wouldn't get arrested for murdering Potter herself.

"The benefits of not being a formal Professor, Harry, allow me to bet on anything I so choose to," Remus responded humorlessly. "Now I would suggest you both get into the corridor to follow me. I believe a serious discussion is in order."

In that case, Kally would have to kill both of them. She wasn't sure how, but it was going to be slow and painful. Growling slightly, she couldn't help but notice Dean grinning and rubbing his hands together gleefully, muttering to Neville, "I still might win this thing."

Potter overheard. "You had me as 'dead' didn't you?"

Dean just smirked.

"Ahem. Shall we?"

Remus' disapproving interjection made her actually twitch. She chanced a glance at Harry, shooting him an only slightly threatening glare at his cavalier attitude.

The wizard just raised his eyebrows, stating, "Alright then."

A second later he'd shot a hand out, the squares board shooting out from underneath Fred's arse and right into Potter's hand. Harry snagged it out of mid-air, looking at it quizzically as Remus made his way back down to them.

The lines in his brow deepened as he looked at who had bet on what, Fred just folding both hands back behind his head and apparently deciding to own it. "Now you know Harry, we all think of ya as family. You wouldn't kill family yeah?"

"No," Potter responded levelly, not even bothering to look up, "but some slight maiming is very much on the table." Looking up, he shot Fred a promising look, right before the entire board ignited in his hand, shriveling up to ash. "Whoops," he drawled, "silly me."

Smacking his hands on his pants, ash flaking off, he extended a hand to her with exaggerated gallantry.

Kally guaranteed she looked bewildered. "When in the hell did you learn to do that?"

The wizard she'd taken to snogging shot her a grin.

Then he waggled his eyebrows at her.

Waggled.

Kally was losing track of the number of times, since she'd lost her utter mind and started snogging him, that she'd deeply wished she could hex things – mainly him.

Fortunately for Harry that was when Remus reached them, snagging them both by the sleeves and dragging them forcibly out of the common room.

Even that didn't stop Potter from pointing back at Fred and George, making a threatening slash across his throat.

She could hear Fred's gulp as the common room portrait shut.

A second later, once they were out of earshot, right about when she assumed that Remus would turn and kill one or both of them away from the witnesses, Remus Lupin did something totally unexpected.

He laughed.


ECOTS


Remus' old professor's quarters really were quite fun when he wasn't in them. Not only was there a fireplace that spectacular explosions could be set off in, but there was a winding staircase to a bedroom loft.

Tonks now straddled the top of that stairwell's railing, six and a half meters off the ground, grinning maniacally and holding young Emily in front of her by the back of the shirt.

They didn't have an actual slide, and Emily had mentioned wanting to go to one of those Muggle playgrounds, so Tonks had improvised. She was going to turn the railing into one. Turning stairs into slides was played out and far too easy. They had guard rails for Merlin's sake! Emily needed a challenge.

"Okay, so when I let go, you're going to slide down. You just hold on to the rail, try to stay centered for balance, and don't let go, otherwise you fall over the side and wind up impersonating a pancake. Got it?"

Emily narrowed her eyes and nodded dutifully. "Got it."

"And who don't we tell about this?"

"Daddy."

Tonks tilted her head, her long brown hair with hot pink tips cascading around her face like a curious pup. "Annnnd?" she prompted.

"Mr. Lupin."

"Good girl!" Tonks flicked her wand, conjuring a box of cookies at the bottom of the railing. Who said children couldn't be bribed into becoming adventurous? It worked on dogs so why not them. "Now you get those once you finish your sliding."

Emily nodded, the girl's auburn hair in a tight ponytail bouncing with the motion.

"One."

The small girl wrapped her hands firmly around the railing.

"Two." Tonks got ready to let the girl go, eagerly anticipating the speed the kid would reach as she slid straight down the extraordinarily hazardous and fun railing

Emily adopted a game face.

"Thre-"

"TONKS!"

Blinking innocently, something she'd quickly learned to do in Remus' presence, she looked down to find that Remus had returned, and he'd drug Harry and Kally along with him. "Found them did ya?" she called down, greeting, "Wotcher Harry, Kally!"

All three stared up at her and Emily, as if they were unaccustomed to finding random Aurors holding small children on the edges of precarious perches. Looking between the three, she excitedly questioned, "So, did I win the bet?" Swinging her legs, she waited with a wide grin.

Remus continued to stare at her and seemed entirely oblivious to basic pleasantries.

Well that wasn't like him. If anything Remus was almost too polite. She'd break him of that dastardly habit later, but right now Tonks tilted her head and frowned. "Remus, you look troubled. And a little green," she commented. Then her eyes suddenly widened, Tonks slapping the rail in realization and gesturing adamantly between Harry and Kally. "Oh! OH! Remus you poor reprehensible hound! Did you actually catch those two in the act of-"

Now Lupin was making choking-angered sounds. A solid thump indicated Kalliandra trying to hit her head on something, while Harry just groaned.

Tonks frowned heavily, leaning forward slightly and whispering conspiratorially to Emily, "He does look green, right?"

"Affirmative," Emily stated, using the word she'd taught her earlier, nodding with the seriousness only possessed by an eight year old.

"Thought so."

"Tonks…" Remus sounded strained, like he had accidentally swallowed a particularly large marble and was trying to pass it. "Care to explain what exactly do you think you are doing there?"

Oh! So Remus was jealous. Well that made sense, he had nearly missed out. Making a gleeful gesture at the stair rail, Emily lifting a small hand to wave, she shouted, "We're repurposing your stair railing into a slide, Remus! Isn't it wonderful?"

Remus made a disgruntled sound indicating his disagreement. "Tonks you cannot drop a child down a railing like its chutes and ladders!"

Tonks frowned heavily, not understanding what that meant, but Emily grinned. "Do we have that game Mr. Lupin?"

Remus looked like a vein was beginning to twitch in his neck. "No Emily, but we can make one."

Tonks released her precarious hold on the railing to raise a hand as if in a classroom. Now she only clung to her high perch by her ankles wrapping around the banister. "Scuse me Professor, what's chutes and ladders?"

"Muggle game," Kally called up helpfully.

Tonks gestured at her and grinned. "See, Remus? She's polite. If you're going to scold me at least use words I understand."

Harry had, by this point, tilted his head, looking a bit like a dog. "Er… what you two doing up there, Tonks?"

Hadn't she just explained this? "Playing!" she shouted down to him. Wasn't it obvious? Sometimes Tonks seriously wondered if people's fun gene had been stolen in utero.

"I left you alone," Remus stated heavily, "for twenty minutes."

Emily nodded vigorously. "Yup!" she said helpfully and proudly. "Tonksie said we had to hurry up before you-"

Tonks immediately clamped a hand over Emily's mouth in the pretense of a hug, the rest of the girl's words muffled. "Don't worry Remus. We've already practiced with the stairs. This is just the graduation run to expert sliding level."

Harry outright snorted, whilst Kalliandra clamped down on her lower lip in seeming amusement.

Remus, however, was far less fun. "Tonks," he stated, as if summoning his last reserves of patience, "the child will slide right over the edge. The number of ways in which this could end in a very…messy manner are shocking."

Ah ha! That was all he was worried about? Well then…"Don't worry!" Tonks told, releasing her hold on Emily. "I greased it up. She'll slide quicker than she'd fall. We've got this!"

Kally was looking distinctly startled. "Um…I'm not sure physics actually works like that…" she ventured, instantly elevating her status on Tonks' very private list of people to harass. It was enough that the girl was dating Harry – now she was an expert on rail sliding to?

Growling in her general direction, she was slightly surprised when the girl held her ground, just shooting her a strange look.

Remus outright groaned, wand out and walking towards them. "Tonks I really must insist-"

"Go Emily! Go!" Tonks shouted, giving the child a sudden shove down.

Emily squealed loudly, shooting down the greased up railing with speed, reaching the curve near the top as Tonks hollered in triumph.

Emily hit the curve and went straight over it, not curving around the bend in the track as predicted. Tonks had about two seconds to realize that she perhaps shouldn't have greased up the curve, before she grabbed her wand and had to quickly attempt to cast a levitation spell on the child.

Remus beat her to it, snaring a giggling Emily out of mid-air, the kid levitating as Tonks toppled over the railing and went down.

She managed to transfigure the floor into a trampoline right before she hit, bouncing high several times before finally coming to a stop flat on her back, laughing maniacally. The slight thud besides her indicated that Remus had lowered Emily safely to the floor, the werewolf storming over to her with a look of such consternation that she couldn't help but grin.

"Wotcher, Remus!" she greeted again, grinning and making a point of getting very comfortable on her trampoline floor. Emily chose that moment to launch herself at her, the impact sending them both bouncing again and nearly knocking Remus off his feet.

The couch also bounced, flipping over backwards, sending a candy dish clattering to the floor.

The former DADA Professor hissed an irritated breath. "I am beginning to understand," he dryly informed, "why working with you has prematurely aged Kingsley."

Tonks waved a hand airily. "Nonsense. I am convinced that's all due to too many fruits and vegetables in his diet. They have to be poisoned."

Emily giggled, bouncing happily on the trampoline floor, occasionally falling.

Tonks just remained right where she was, grinning. "You never answered me. Did I win?"

Judging from the look on Remus' face, he appeared to be rethinking his life choices. "Nymphadora…"

Her leg shot out, kicking out his ankle and knocking the man flat on his ass right alongside her. The grunt he let out reminded her oddly of sounds he made during sex. Turning her head she shot him a grin, before propping herself up on her elbows to look at Harry and Kalliandra. "He really doesn't believe me when I say he'll have to be quicker if he doesn't want ole snake face to hex him," she said conversationally, as if discussing something very simple.

A twitch in the corner of Harry's mouth indicated her job here was done, even if Remus was growling alongside her.

The wizard shoved himself up to a sitting position, huffing heavily. "Harry, Kalliandra, the reason for summoning you," he grunted, not acknowledging her concern for his well-being at all, "is we had something we rather wanted to ask."

Tonks hooked a thumb at him. "Ole Mooney here did. I wanted to elope and deal with the fallout after."

Kalliandra's eyes flew wide, her head jerking towards Remus so fast that Tonks marveled that the girl's neck was still intact. "Wait, what?!"

Remus grunted. "Molly Weasley," he stated dourly, ignoring Kalliandra's question and addressing Tonks' eloping desire, "would have your head."

"Pfft, she'd have to catch me first," Tonks said with some degree of cockiness. It wasn't her fault the woman liked to plan things. Brushing her hands off on her jeans, she quizzically looked between Harry and Kally, who were standing there, not moving, looking rather dumbfounded.

Tonks tilted her head in slight concern. .

"Appears so," Remus agreed amicably, getting comfortable where he was on the floor. "Pity, I was hoping Harry would be my main warlock."

Harry still didn't move, Tonks growing increasingly concerned. Had they managed to break Harry? Well…weren't they in trouble with the rest of the wizarding world when Voldemort won?

Just to make sure he hadn't been hexed Tonks leaned forward, poking Harry in the foot with her finger.

At that he actually moved, but still remained mute.

Yipes, they had broken them.

At that moment Emily Bothan, whom everyone had temporarily been distracted from, slid down the railing a second time. The kid had crept back up the stairwell with the stealth of a ninja.

Remus barely had time to cast another levitation charm on her before she hit the trampoline-charmed floor, the young girl laughing raucously.

Remus groaned. "Don't think we're not going to talk about this later," he threatened, gesturing at where Emily was once again running up the stairwell, only this time clutching a box of cookies.

Tonks just beamed, since that was the best thing she could do.

She might love Remus, but she loved tormenting him even more.


ECOTS


Kalliandra found herself still shocked that Harry Potter was alive. The second they'd gotten into the castle's cold corridor Remus hadn't maimed him. Instead, he had started laughing. Loudly.

Apparently he'd found the entire debacle humorous.

Plus he'd apparently won the betting pool. He'd bet that Harry was doing totally benign things with her, probably sneaking around the castle with a contraband item inherited by his father.

His bet had been extraordinarily specific. Hell, Potter had even questioned whether or not he'd been in possession of a copy of something called the Marauder's Map.

She'd made a mental note to ask about that later.

Now she found herself standing in what appeared to be the private quarters of a Professor, Tonks having transfigured a sizeable portion of the floor immediately around the stairwell into something reminiscent of a trampoline, the little red head that had been in Number 12 Grimmauld bouncing beside her, with the word elope being casually tossed around.

It went a long way to explain why she had rounded on Remus and started sputtering.

Besides her Potter was standing rather stiffly, staring at them as if they'd both gone mental.

Kalliandra regained her senses first. "What do you mean elope?"

Tonks looked utterly baffled. "Kally listening skills." She tapped her ear for emphasis. "Remus nixed my idea on account the old coot is concerned that certain other Order members might be a bit disgruntled to not be invited. So we're doing it here."

Remus shot her a look. "Old coot?"

Tonks blinked innocently. "Would you have preferred I go back to Wolfy?'

"Oddly," he stated, looking as if he seriously disbelieved his own words, "yes."

The grin that crossed Tonks' face could have powered a small Muggle city.

"I'm sorry," Potter interjected from beside her, sounding as confused as she felt, "but whendid you two get engaged?"

Kally found herself nodding adamantly in agreement. The last time she'd seen the two of them together – at least when no one had been bleeding profusely – Tonks had casually mentioned that they'd recently started snogging and Remus had very much seemed uncomfortable with that information being tossed around.

She made a sputtering sound and waved her hands at them for emphasis. Great, now Potter was looking at her oddly.

Remus and Tonks exchanged a look. "You know, I would have thought they'd be more excited," he idly observed.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Teenagers."

"Yeah, teenagers."

All eyes turned towards Emily Bothan, who had just mimicked Tonks perfectly. The Auror looked utterly thrilled, actually clasping her hands in delight, while a look of increasing horror crossed Remus' face. "Never should have left you alone with her…"

Kally shook herself, taking a sudden step forward, her feet leaving the stable stone part of the floor and crossing just over the edge onto the trampoline variety. "Wait, so this isn't a joke. You two are…" she gestured idly between them, turning to Remus and struggling to keep her balance. "You mean you're not-"

"Shamelessly resisting? Threatening to change his wards? Going into hiding to avoid my come on's?" Tonks supplied before she could finish.

"Yeah…." she muttered, uncertain of how to respond to that.

"Well, I did give serious thought to going into hiding," Remus told.

Emily jumped on the floor, bouncing happily and sending both Remus and Tonks bouncing up into the air where they sat. The sudden movement of the floor nearly knocked Kally off her feet and might have if Potter hadn't moved with speed that still sometimes surprised her.

He'd lunged forward and grabbed onto her shoulders, steadying her with a casual strength that had her silently thanking whatever that game called Quidditch was.

He'd recently started telling her about it, and she had a sneaking suspicion that she might have it to thank for some of the more physical attributes of him that she appreciated.

Besides, the sudden feel of his hands on even just her shoulders had an unbelievably pleasurable shiver sweeping through her, his strong hands merely remaining on her, squeezing.

"So…you're really getting married," Potter repeated from behind her. "Too early for April Fools isn't it?"

Tonks rolled her eyes, shoving her hands onto the floor and shoving herself up. "You know Harry," she griped, hair bouncing, "a girl could really get insulted. Of course I wore him down. It only took a year of light stalking to-"

"I wouldn't exactly call it stalking when we're on assignment," Remus corrected.

"That you know of." The look Tonks shot him betrayed that there'd been more. Oh there had definitely been more.

Remus audibly gulped. "Godric, what have I done?"

"Gotten engaged to an insane Auror," Potter quipped, Kally glancing back to find a smirk crossing his strong jaw. "Congratulations you two."

Emily let out a little squeal, bouncing again. "They're letting me wear daisies!"

The rebound on the trampoline floor almost sent Kally stumbling again, Potter yanking her backwards off it this time, her back thudding firmly against his chest. Letting out a startled breath, she relaxed immediately at the feel of his arm snaking around her waist, the wizard pulling her closer even in front of others, the movement so damn natural that she missed the gleeful look Tonks shot their way.

Leaning against him, her fingers slid up to find his, a rare smile touching her lips. "Wow…congratulations," she murmured. Remus was getting married. Given the plethora of bad things happening in the world, this was a completely good thing.

"So, how about it Harry? Want to be my main warlock?" Remus had also stood, brushing his hands off on his shabby robes as if he asked such things every day.

Kally tilted her head back, whispering curiously to Potter, "Main warlock?"

"Equivalent of Muggle best man," he muttered instantly, green gaze locked across the room on Remus. "Be honored Mooney. Sure you don't want someone though who is, you know, an adult?"

Remus chortled. "You're an adult, Harry. In every way that matters, even if not legally for a few months." With that Remus cast a spell at the floor, transfiguring it back into stone whilst Emily was mid-bounce.

The girl's shoes slapped against it, the kid letting out a disappointed sound. Remus ignored this with the practiced skill only obtained by men who spent hours upon hours around difficult women and children. "By the time we get around to it you'll be of age anyhow. Tonks has informed me we're aiming for August."

Kally could practically feel Potter grinning against the back of her head. "Informed you did she?"

"Yes, I'm doomed," Remus affirmed, striding forward across the recently solidified floor and extending a hand to Harry.

Potter squeezed her waist, releasing her with only one hand, pointedly tightening his other forearm around her to indicate his desire for her not to move. She willingly complied, it not the first time Potter had refused to let go of her when being otherwise engaged.

It was actually a habit of his. Apparently trivial things like people trying to talk to him were no reason to interrupt snogging and touching.

Lupin and Potter grasped one another's forearms, shaking hard. Remus didn't let go right away though, the two standing there awkwardly, the older wizard stating simply, "Give it a minute."

The minute of the two holding onto one another's forearms lasted long enough that Potter started to shift on his feet uncomfortably. She did try to squirm away, but the arm around her just tightened like a constrictor, his mouth dropping down by her ear and threatening, "Not going anywhere."

Remus' lips had simply twitched in amusement at their exchange.

Kally just felt rather smushed between the two.

That was when a quiet humming filled the air, a strange shimmer of magic developing on Remus' forearm, it traveling from him to Potter, the flickering white light infiltrating Harry's skin and disappearing a second later.

Harry grunted, the two releasing their grips upon one another. Potter actually shook his hand out as if it tingled. "What," he questioned, "was that?"

"Old magic," Remus told. "Bit of a Marauder tradition, I'm afraid. It's now the main warlock's job to ensure that I don't get cold feet and attempt to run. If I do, you'll be empowered with the ability to hex me past even my best shield charms."

Behind her Potter's deep baritone rumbled in dry amusement.

"Yup, and if you fail there Harry then I get to hex you," Tonks voiced, twirling her wand from her new-found spot on an end table. She looked rather excited at the prospect.

Potter's deep laughter stopped instantly.

Tonks smiled toothily, turning her attention from Harry and onto her, rather like a shark scenting blood in the water. "You're not off the hook either Kally-kins," she said, using the nickname that Dean just had to share with everyone who had been in the hospital wing with them, including Dumbledore and Tonks. "Remus wants you in it too."

Kally shot Remus a frown, the older wizard smiling. "If you'd be so inclined, Kalliandra. I'd rather appreciate if you'd join Tonks' wizarding maidens."

"Yup," Tonks supplied. "I'm thinking you, Hermione, Minerva, Ginny, Molly Weasley, and one of my Muggle cousins, just to piss off the purebloods. If we're going to have an actual wedding, we're going to do things right."

"Helga help us," Remus invoked. "You do realize that you're inviting half of Hogwarts to be involved, darling?"

Tonks nodded so happily that she almost slipped off the end table that she'd repurposed into a chair.

"Sure you don't want to do that eloping thing, Mooney?" Potter questioned, sliding both of his arms back around her.

That brought another question to her mind. "If that's the case, why didn't you call Hermione, Ginny and Professor McGonagall here too?" If it wasn't for Potter's embrace, she'd be getting slightly nervous at the look Tonks was giving her.

Kally squeezed his hand, Harry squeezing back.

"Hermione's in training with Professor McGonagall and Ronald Weasley," Remus supplied, looking thoughtful. "Come to think of it I was supposed to fetch Ginny as well, but forgot given that whole betting nonsense and how amusing it was." The gray haired wizard smiled kindly. "Regardless, we rather wanted to tell you two separately. We haven't exactly announced it, and I was fairly certain you'd both find a way to express your displeasure somewhat violently if you didn't hear it from us first."

Potter outright snorted, her hair actually rustling from his breath. Kally just leaned back against him, Potter's arms renewing their grip upon her. "Can't speak for him, but you know I can't hex," she pointed out. Remus literally had nothing to be afraid of on her end.

The look he sent her was intriguing. "Ah yes, about that…if you'll excuse me momentarily." Remus disappeared, leaving them alone with Tonks and Emily, the four of them standing there awkwardly whilst Tonks began chewing some bright pink bubblegum.

"So you two," Tonks questioned from around a bubble, gesturing with her finger between them, "did I win?"

"No," Potter grunted quickly. Tonks just looked disappointed, but shrugged.

Kally found herself with questions. "Do I want to know what she bet?" she whispered, question directed backwards towards Harry, his fingers drumming along her hip.

"Not," he muttered, "if you want to sleep peacefully at night."

Kally slid her remaining free hand over his, snaring his fingers to stop the taping. The way both his hands now tightened around hers, fingers willing enjoying their entrapment, had her closing her eyes for the smallest of moments.

When she opened them again she found Tonks grinning at them from around an obnoxiously large bubble, giving them a friendly, if only slightly terrifying, little wave.

She eyed the Auror as if she were a bomb about to explode.

As if on cue Potter began to inch backwards, tugging her with him.

Fortunately that was when Remus emerged from the other room, an elongated box tossed through the air towards her. Kally released Harry's hand and only just managed to snag it about three centimeters away from her nose, the contents giving an odd thunk.

"Go ahead, open it," Remus encouraged.

With little other choice she released Potter entirely, the wizard keeping his arms around her waist. Now having both of her hands freed up she flipped the box upside down, shaking it until the lid fell off, the contents falling out into her hand.

What fell out was a wand.

"Eleven inches of cherry wood, with a thestral hair, one of your hairs, a unicorn hair, and a drop of your blood inside," Remus told. "Specially made by Garrick Ollivander himself. Though…it admittedly did take a bit of convincing for him to make it. He was rather convinced that such a combination would cause the user to…oh how did he put it, my dear?"

Tonks popped a bubble loudly. "Blow up."

Kally almost dropped it like a hot coal, Remus chuckling. "I assure you, Kalliandra, I think such a combination will work."

"And if not," Tonks supplied, "we get another colorful fireworks display."

Remus and Potter shot her identical disapproving looks, Kally still eyeing the wand skeptically. "So this is what Professor Snape was talking about then?" Before they'd been quarantined, before Dublin, before she'd found Potter standing in a cold castle corridor talking about horcruxes and possibly leaving the Potion's Master had mentioned her being in need of a way to channel her magic more effectively.

"Yes," Remus affirmed, making a face and telling, "regrettably it required some…collaboration with Severus to ensure the combination wouldn't cause any type of-"

"Explosion," Tonks finished for him.

Remus cast her a look, shaking his head. "Regular wands typically have only one core, but given your particular situation and your lack of magic, we felt a bit of a boost would be necessary if you were to get the wand to cooperate at all."

"Yeah…I remember," she murmured, feeling Potter's chest growing rather taut behind her. She still eyed the wand like it might transfigure into a viper at any given moment and strike.

Remus just smiled encouragingly. "You possess true magic, Kalliandra. You simply have lacked an effective way to harness it."

Eyes running along the reddish-wood of her new wand, Potter squeezed her waist and released her, his hands sliding up her arms to her shoulders. Kally wet her lips nervously. "Not like all of you though."

"No," Remus told, "you can't do magic like we do. But the magic you can do could use a conduit. This is, at least, a start."

Reminders of her own inadequacies with magic weren't exactly fun. Still, Kalliandra ran her fingers across the burnt red between her fingers, the cherry wood smooth. Where her skin touched it a quiet thrumming could be felt.

She sucked in a breath, abruptly pocketing it. "Thank you, Remus. If it's all the same though, I'd like to try it out later."

Remus simply gave her that infuriatingly calm smile he always possessed. "Of course, Kalliandra. I do not fancy my temporary quarters being blown up while you learn to use it. Shall we say tomorrow morning around seven? Seven thirty?" A knowing smile crossed his face. "I have it on good word that Harry here may have threatened anyone who attempted to, quote-on-quote 'find either of you' prior to Monday."

"Damn straight, Mooney," Potter bluntly confirmed, glancing towards the door. "Speaking of, not that I'm not happy for you two but it is Sunday still, so…"

Remus' jovial manner instantly disappeared, the wizard looking oddly uncomfortable suddenly. "Ah yes, about that, Harry…would you terribly mind coming with me for a moment?"

The look he shot Potter belied that it was not a question.

Kally actually winced, audibly hearing Potter's gulp. A second later his arms had loosened upon her, the wizard lowering his mouth alongside her ear, muttering quietly, "Told you I was dead."

Despite herself her lips actually twitched, Potter casting her a dull glare. "Your concern is astounding," he drawled, glancing after Remus and standing up a bit straighter. "Not back in twenty minutes, I'm dead. So tell your next boyfriend I'm planning to haunt his ass."

With that Potter followed, Kally trying to not laugh.

Tonks didn't even try to look sympathetic. She just conjured some popcorn and sent a cheery wave after the two. "Play nice boys!"

A second later Tonks' criminally evil gaze swiveled towards her.

Kally wondered if it was too late to go after Potter.


ECOTS


The door thudded closed behind them, and Harry couldn't help but think it sounded rather like that of an executioner's axe.

He hoped that Remus wasn't about to kill his best friend's only son and his own main warlock, something Harry was still wrapping his mind around, over snogging he and Kaylens did behind closed doors.

Well, that wasn't entirely true…it was behind doors, in corridors, common rooms, outside…

Yeah, he could actually see Remus' point.

Mentally he began to plan his defense. After all, if he was dead how could he prevent Remus from panicking and running when he eventually realized that he'd agreed to marry Tonks?

Harry figured there were two options if Remus panicked: either Remus would wind up killing him or Tonks would. Neither would be quick, easy, or painless.

Perhaps that wasn't a good option.

Swallowing hard and rather wishing he was still out in the other room with Kaylens, at least she harbored the same fear of hexing-by-Remus that he did, Harry adopted a masked expression and leaned back against the wall, conveniently near the door. His green gaze quickly scanned the room, searching for any and all potential exits that might exist.

There was one: the door. Grand.

The site of his inevitable death appeared to be a small study, a mahogany desk surrounded by several towering bookshelves, along with three chairs the only furniture within it. He didn't immediately see any objects that screamed 'murder weapon,' but he knew from experience with Hermione that each and every single tome on those shelves could work as a blunt object for head injury infliction.

She'd recently developed a tendency to throw things at Ron when his best mate was being an ass.

Remus strode to the desk, unceremoniously yanking open a drawer and unearthing a flask of golden-brown colored liquid. A glass tumbler followed in quick succession.

It took the last remaining Marauder precisely three and a half seconds to yank off the decanter's glass top to pour himself a glass.

It took him less than another second to down that glass' entire contents in a single swallow, the scent of liquor filing the room.

Harry was in more trouble than he thought, but by an act of sheer will managed to resist the temptation to run, staying rooted right where he stood and silently hoping that when he was dead, that Kally didn't start dating Dean.

"Harry," Remus started, sounding distinctly uncomfortable, already pouring himself another glass, "I know this…betting business was all in good fun, if not in good taste." Lupin avoided his gaze, looking conveniently at a blank wall.

Harry inched ever so slightly closer to the door.

Mooney took a long swig from his second glass, looking very much like he needed it to keep speaking. "Regardless, Harry, it brings to light the rather...startling reality that you will be of age in just a few months' time."

Harry grimaced, well aware of that fact already. Four and a half months. Four and a half months and he wouldn't be legally subjected to the whims of anyone, or ever have to set foot in the Dursley's house again. He wasn't counting down to that day at all. "You don't say," he dryly responded.

"Ah sarcasm," Lupin observed absently, tiling the whiskey-filled glass towards him. "Now that you got from your father."

"Comes in handy, especially given Voldemort's not that quick witted for snarky replies."

Lupin did not laugh. Instead he finally turned his gaze upon him, looking somewhat regretful. "Something you never should have been subjected to knowing, Harry." Swirling the fluid around, it lapping against the sides of the glass, Mooney looked down into its contents, as if the whiskey would somehow reveal the future. "Still…you are getting older." He lapsed into silence.

Harry just raised an eyebrow. "Mooney, I know you're driving at something, so out with it." If he was going to be murdered for pawing Kaylens he might as well get it over with. With any luck his ghost could make it to Dean before Kaylens made it back to the Gryffindor tower.

He'd need the extra few minutes to figure out how to commit homicide in non-corporeal form, before Kaylens could figure out how to hex a ghost. He reckoned that skill might be in a Reach's wheelhouse.

His former professor smiled slightly. "You know," he stated conversationally, as if reciting a particularly interesting fact from a textbook, "the last time I saw anyone look at another the way you look at Kalliandra, it was your father." Remus once again tilted the rim of his glass towards him, smiling slightly. "Can you wager a guess who was on the receiving end, Harry?"

Frowning slightly, he muttered, "Given his reputation, any girl in the school."

Lupin made a slightly disapproving sound. "He wasn't that much of a lady's man, Harry. That was more Sirius' area." Taking a sip of the whiskey, he began pacing, stopping only when he reached the opposite side of the small office. "It was your mother, Harry. Within a few short months they were married, and you were on the way. Which brings to light the purpose of this…conversation."

Harry actually banged the back of his head against the wall. "Lupin can we just-"

"Sorry Harry," he stated, not sounding at all apologetic. "Promised."

Harry cracked his gaze and narrowed it onto his former professor, a slow realization dawning on him. "Did Tonks put you up to this?"

Lupin lowered his glass, looking as if the answer were obvious. "Of course." Setting it down onto the bookshelf, he continued, "She is somewhat protective of you, despite being a major proponent of your independence." Eyes turning towards the door, he added, "I fear Kalliandra may have a somewhat difficult time winning her over for that reason alone."

Right. Not only did he have first Dean, then Mrs. Weasley, and then Voldemort to worry about, in that exact order, but now Tonks was being added to the list. "If your fiancée kills my girlfriend, Mooney, I'm going to be pissed."

Lupin actually grinned, drumming his fingers along the bookshelf. "Rightly so, Harry. Rightly so. But when it comes to these matters….there's the matter of responsibility to think of. There are more than just Muggle methods. There's spells, potions-"

Harry made a strangled sound. "Didn't we already decide to not talk about this?"

His father's friend, still looking somewhat uncomfortable, grimaced. "Yes, and then Tonks changed that decision for us." Pausing, he inclined an eyebrow, "Unless of course you'd rather discuss it with her?"

Harry choked. "No."

Remus shrugged as if to say 'what-can-I-do?' then carried on. "Well in that case, in the…moment things can get somewhat heated, Harry. Just consider the consequences of things before hand, like your age. You need to respect her."

"We seriously haven't done that," he sputtered, thudding the back of his head repeatedly against the wall and wishing for sweet oblivion. They'd done a fair bit, but only once, and they sure as hell hadn't done that. He was pretty damn positive if they had he'd remember.

Not that he didn't want to. But still.

"Uh huh. Of course," Mooney said absently. "At any rate, I'll be happy to owl you some spells and potions recipes just in case that changes, Harry. Now tell me, what are you intentions with her?"

Harry made a sound not unlike a dying hippogriff that had been cross-bred with a troll. "Mooney, come on!"

Lupin smirked unapologetically, no longer looking uncomfortable as he unearthed a second glass, pouring a generous helping of whiskey into it. "Sorry Harry, but seeing as how she's the closest teenager I have to my own, outside of you, I do feel a certain protective need to partake in the age-old tradition of threatening her suitors, even if it is you."

He shot him a surly look. "Traitor."

Mooney met his accusation with two quirked eyebrows, walking over and extending the glass to him. "You'd be advised," he cautioned, "to deny that you got that from me."

Harry seized it with the trepidation of one about to face the firing squad. "Hell, if you're giving me alcohol then I know this is going to be bad." That didn't stop him from eyeing the booze with mild curiosity. He'd never exactly drank before.

Lupin stepped back, walking back over to his own glass, picking it up and raising it in a private toast. "This type of talk, Harry, ought to always come with libation."

"Now you just sound like Regulus."

The former professor just offered a half-smirk. "For once I cannot argue the similarity," he told, taking a long drink from his. Swallowing, he pressed, "Now, Harry, what are your intentions? Don't think I didn't notice that you failed to answer."

Harry lifted the whiskey, sniffing it before stealing himself for what was to come.

Then he tossed it back with all the cavalierness of one who had no clue what it would do to him. The taste of oak assaulted his tongue, it pleasurably sour, yet burning on the way down.

It took a half second before Harry realized that his nostrils were on fire, as was his throat.

Abruptly he hacked, spraying whiskey as he coughed repeatedly. Some of it sloshed from the glass, spilling onto the floor as he attempted to stop. From across the room Mooney just snickered, Harry gagging and shooting the old Marauder a malevolent look. Hacking, he growled, "Could have warned me."

"Now where would the fun be in that?" he responded almost mischievously, and for a second it turned back the clock, Lupin seeming young.

For the first time he was glimpsing what Lupin must have been like when he'd known his father, the man actually smiling in a way that reached his eyes. For Harry though…

No amusement reached his own. Instead his throat burned, Harry grimacing and mulling over Lupin's question. Intentions…. "We're at war," he finally muttered, "and she's with me, even though she knows of all the idiots she could date, that I'm the least likely to survive it." Taking another look at the small amount of whiskey remaining in his glass, he seriously considered imbibing it.

His gaze left the golden-brown liquid, raising to meet Remus'. "How am I supposed to have intentions given that?"

Mooney did not tell him he was wrong. He didn't argue, instead he just stood where he was, back as straight as the towering bookshelves. "We'll that's rather simple, you plan to live." He finally stated as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "Always bet on living, Harry. Make plans around that, because nothings guaranteed, not even in the best of times." One hand in a pocket, the other holding the glass tumbler, he allowed a wry smile to touch his face as he gestured towards the door. "It took that eight year old sprite out there to remind me of that."

Harry's brow furrowed, glancing askance at the door, mulling that over. "You mean Emily?"

Remus Lupin quirked his lips. "Yup."

It was uncharacteristic of the man, yet everything about the statement sounded damn honest. Harry wasn't sure what to make of that. All he knew was that his stomach was squirming, and it wasn't from the alcohol.

It was from the thought of ever having any intentions with Kaylens, because hell if that didn't sound good.

Teeth grinding, he wasn't dumb enough to entertain the thought. Right now...he knew what he thought, knew what he felt, even if he wasn't fully damn ready to admit it aloud. Instead he found himself forcing his throat to work, deflecting. "You mean an eight year old kid convinced you to get hitched? Damn Mooney, didn't know you were such an easy play." Then he lifted his glass, smirking around it as he took another, far slower drink of it.

This time he only barely managed to avoid a second hacking fit. It still burned like hell.

Mooney merely grinned. "Never said I was wise in affairs of the heart, Harry. If I was, I'd have done a lot of things a lot sooner." The Marauder's gaze suddenly turned distant, as if no longer fully in the study with him.

"Word of advice, Harry?" Lupin sounded rougher, distant. "Don't waste time. It's the one thing you can never get back." Then the man took another long swig, finishing off the rest of his second drink.

The grip Harry had on his own glass had grown a tense, gaze locked onto Remus. He swallowed, the scent of oak trees in his nostrils, throat still burning. "Noted," he ground, something within his chest pounding heavily. The thought of not wasting time with Kaylens…

He'd thought he was moving too fast with her. He knew he was. He'd only known her for nine months, and not all of that had been exactly good.

Still, that didn't stop his chest from thundering harder than it had mid-duel with Voldemort himself.

Clack.

Remus had set his glass down, taking a deep breath. "Well, now that we've settled that, think about it, Harry. Life's too short to not consider what you actually want out of it, beyond the things you have to do."

Harry's grip wound tight around the glass tumbler, the thing emptied both into his stomach and on the floor. A casual wave of Lupin's wand sent the spill vanishing, but the strange sensation within him didn't.

Mooney was studying him so intently that it actually made Harry squirm.

It wasn't the first time that it looked like Mooney was seeing a ghost.

Remaining silent, Harry took in a deep breath and forced himself to move. Setting the glass down on the desk, he cleared his throat awkwardly. "So um…now that we've established that Kaylens and I aren't shagging, mind if we-"

Remus waved a hand, interjecting. "Of course, Harry. But before you go just one more thing."

Harry closed his eyes and prepared himself for a lecture on condom safety, only for Lupin to go another route.

"I could not help but notice that your wandless magic is improving. It's rather impressive," Mooney complimented. "Do you think that you could you do me the favor of summoning that potions book on the shelf? Severus recommended it, and I rather feel it was garbage to begin with."

He was so relieved that Mooney had dropped the sex talk that he didn't even bother to wonder why the wizard was asking something so bizarre. He just held out a hand, magic jolting through his forearm, wrist and hand, the book flying off the shelf and slamming into his grip.

Harry's fingers closed firmly around it. He then lifted an eyebrow, silently questioning what Mooney expected him to do with it.

Lupin just leaned against the nearest bookshelf, looking rather relaxed.

"Now set it on fire."

Harry blinked. It wasn't often that a former professor requested one of their former students to start burning books inside the school. Maybe Lupin had sustained a head injury recently. He had been spending a lot of time around Tonks, so that increased the likelihood…

"Set it on fire," Mooney repeated, "like how you did in the Gryffindor Common Room, to the betting board Fred created."

"Really disliked Snape's taste I see," Harry drawled, concentrating, trying to do just that. The only thing was…

It wasn't igniting.

Scowling, his brow furrowed deeply, arm actually vibrating as he attempted to do just that.

Nothing happened.

"Interesting," Lupin observed, drumming his fingers on a shelf.

Harry turned his glower on his father's best friend. "Oh yeah, very." Giving the book a shake, he bitterly bit, "How am I supposed to defeat Voldemort if I can't even do that?"

Lupin's mouth merely pursed as if mulling something over. "Kalliandra!" he called loudly, voice voluminous enough to carry through the door. "Would you mind joining us momentarily?"

Harry didn't even have a chance to fully turn his attention towards the door when it had swung open with force. Casting a full glance back, just in time to see it slam shut, he found Kaylens standing there, both hands pressing flat to the door as if trying to create a temporary blockade, the non-witch he'd taken to snogging looking both relieved and terrified.

"Yeah?" she panted, sounding distinctly out of breath.

It took him a second, but his mouth started to twitch as he noticed. Kaylens' hair was half up in some type of strange twist, little flowers and bows in it, the other half of her head oddly curled, a strange sort of lipstick smeared across her face as if the person applying it wasn't yet quite sure how to color inside the lines.

And for some ungodly reason there was a chocolate chip cookie shoved into the messy up-do.

"New look?" he questioned, not bothering to hide his amusement.

Golden eyes darted towards him, instantly narrowing. "Very funny, Potter."

"Funny? And here I was thinking you should wear that on our next date."

The hiss she let out promised that he'd pay for that later. "Tonks is insane and has trained that little imp to attack." Eyes darting from him to Remus, she cringed slightly. "No offense, Remus."

To his credit Lupin held up both hands, smiling benignly. "None taken, Kalliandra. I am quite aware of my future bride's idiosyncratic tendencies." That said, his smile grew. "Thank you for joining us on such," eyeing her new look, "short notice. I'll keep this short."

"Must you?" she practically pled. "Seriously Remus, I'll give you a free hex if you don't make me go back out there."

Harry tilted his head. Well, this had gotten interesting. "What's the matter, Kaylens? Afraid of a tiny Auror and a small child?"

"Hell yes."

He couldn't help it; he outright smirked.

Remus was not doing much better, the man chuckling quietly. "Well in that case, Harry, can you perhaps do that again?"

He turned his attention away from Kaylens, looking back at Mooney. "Do what?" He honestly did not remember, but Kaylens had that effect on him.

Remus smirked. "The book," he reminded, nodding encouragingly.

"Oh," he stated, barely shifting a glance towards it before his fingers burned, the book sparking with a loud pop.

Instantly Harry dropped it, the book fully in flames and striking the stone floor, smouldering quickly and sending pieces of burnt paper floating up into the air like ash.

"Very interesting," Mooney mused aloud.

Kaylens made a disbelieving sound, stepping forward, her half hair-do dangling around her face. "Did you seriously just burn Potions Prodigies?" She seemed rather fixated on the burning book in question, her voice sounding scarily reminiscent of Hermione's when angered about he and Ron not finishing a particularly brutal essay.

He instinctively took a step back, years of Hermione-taming kicking in. "Er…yes?" Harry responded, not entirely sure from her expression if telling the truth was the safe answer or not.

A puff of smoke wafted up, striking her in the face, the non-witch coughing and sending him an unimpressed look that promised fallout.

Right. He'd guessed wrong.

He took another hasty step backwards.

"Snape recommended it?" he tried again, only for his girlfriend to start sputtering at him.

It probably didn't help that he was failing at not grinning. It was hardly his fault. Somehow Kaylens managed to look good even with lipstick smeared across her face. He figured if given about thirty seconds he could smear it more.

"Harry, put the fire out," Lupin's voice cut into the dirty places his mind was going, the wizard apparently trying to save his neck.

Right. Kaylens was looking murderous over the book burning.

Harry didn't need telling twice, snapping his fingers, the flames extinguished with a mighty hiss.

Unfortunately it had the effect of sending more smoke wafting up into Kalliandra's face. "Potter," she practically growled, waving a hand quickly to dispel the gray wisps and moving away, coughing. It took almost a full minute for her to stop coughing, but when she did she leaned over on her knees, gesturing forlornly at it. "That was a great book, Harry." The scary thing was she looked so frighteningly put out that he reckoned she actually meant that.

Harry glanced at it, not honestly getting the female persuasion's liking of large, boring tomes. "A potion's book?" he questioned, unable to mask the skepticism. "You've been spending way too much time in the dungeons."

The look he received was enough to send him quickly stepping back, telling, "Er…it was Lupin's idea?"

His girlfriend made a rather upset sound, leaning against the desk with both hands and not even responding. Instead she drug a hand up and tried, futilely, to yank a particularly knotted ribbon out of her hair.

He couldn't help it: he laughed. Kaylens glanced over her shoulder, her own lips twitching ever-so-slightly. "Merlin it's bad isn't it?" she questioned, a magenta ribbon hanging over her eyes.

Lips twitching, he feigned innocence. "That a new Muggle trend?"

Kalliandra quietly growled.

"Harry, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?"

Lupin's out-of-place request caught him off guard. The wizard had been so quiet he'd almost forgotten that he was listening. Shrugging, he started to leave, only to see Kaylens' gaze catch on the decanter of whiskey and the two empty glasses.

She picked one up, holding it and outright staring. "Were you two drinking in here?"

Harry shoved his palm against the door and sent it flying open, hurrying out of the study before she could direct the question at him specifically. What he was greeted with though…

The floor was littered with bows and ribbons that had clearly been transfigured out of what had been the couch, if the plaid pattern on them was anything to judge by. Pieces of cut off hair and makeup containers littered the floor, Tonks sitting in the middle of the mess.

She had grown her hair out all the way down to her waist, it a very pale pink, while Emily Bothan took scissors to it and began chopping off large, uneven chunks.

The Auror caught sight of him and waved cheerfully. "You done with Kalliandra yet, Harry?" She spun her wand with a manic grin. "Emily here wants to see what she'd look like with red hair."

Harry about choked. "Er…" he liked Kaylens hair exactly how it was.

Her brow creased, her hair now chopped off up to her chin on one side as Emily wielded the scissors like a kid on a sugar high. "You know, Harry, you're hair is pretty long…"

He backed up so quickly that his back smacked into the door frame, Harry unconsciously itching at his hand as he stared in mounting horror. Right. He suddenly understood why Kaylens had been so eager to get into the study with them.

Hand still itching, smarting slightly, it occurred to him that if he didn't want body parts to throb that he ought to stop smacking doors open with it.

"Harry, you may come back in now."

He bolted back inside so fast that he missed Tonks turning to Emily, questioning curiously, "Was it something we said?"

The door thudded shut behind him, Harry finding both Remus and Kally behind the desk looking rather odd. Kaylens was reclining in the chair, both of her feet propped up on the desk top, while Remus leaned against a bookshelf, studying him.

They looked far too casual.

Remus was also holding a letter opener.

There was blood on it.

Harry gave his hand an itch again, eyeing them both with suspicion usually reserved for basilisks. Remus just tilted his head, eyeing Harry curiously. "Harry, is your hand okay?"

Ceasing his itching, he stopped immediately. "It's fine," he grunted.

Remus arched his eyebrow. "You sure?"

Sighing, he grumbled, "Alright, what'd you do to it, Mooney?" He should have known the Marauder was up to something with all his interestings.

Remus just smiled amicably, inclining his head towards Kalliandra. Harry's forest colored gaze shifted to her, finding that she had lifted her own palm up from where it'd been hidden out of sight, behind the desk.

A bloodied slash covered her palm.

"What in the actual hell, Remus?" he snarled, crossing to her in three steps and seizing her by the wrist. Flipping her hand over he swore, ignoring Kaylens' protestations.

"Harry, I heal fast," she grumbled, trying to tug it away, her ridiculous hair style bouncing as she squirmed.

He did the right thing and dutifully ignored her, getting out his wand and hitting it with a sterilizing charm before she managed to yank it away.

Now sitting on the desk, well aware that Remus the letter-opener-sadist had been the cause, he glared between the two of them. "Well?"

To his credit, the old Marauder didn't even flinch. "Just an experiment, Harry. One Kalliandra willingly consented to."

Now he shot her a look, finding that she'd hid her hand again, a wince touching her soft, angular features. "Uh huh," he acknowledged skeptically.

"So, how does your hand feel, Harry?"

"Having sympathy pains," he snapped. "Obviously."

Remus sent him a shrewd look. "Sympathy pain…of course."

Harry growled loud enough to send most werewolves running. The one currently irritating him though did not so much as budge.

A pained sound from Kaylens drug his gaze right back to her, just in time to see a light tracing across her flesh, the small wound healing. Where there had been a bloodied gash across her left palm, now there only was smooth skin, the infuriatingly difficult non-witch wiggling her fingers testingly.

Spilled unicorn blood did have some uses.

"Often as you get hurt," he stated staidly, "how haven't you run out of that yet?" He figured that the blood Angelina had put into her was bound to run out, at some point.

Kaylens yanked her feet off the desk, shrugging. "Dumbledore said once it's in a person it just continually regenerates itself. So, I'm stuck with it."

Harry snatched her hand back before she could protest, flipping it over and studying it as if he wasn't sure he trusted his own eyes. "For once," he muttered dourly, "I'm glad about that." Thumb unconsciously running across her palm, he met her gaze. "Now what the hell were you and Lupin doing?"

Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "You know, he didn't actually explain."

"Oh, so you just randomly say yes to getting stabbed with sharp objects now?"

"More like slashed."

The sound he made indicated how pleased he was with that.

Lupin's pointed cough tugged both their attentions back to him. "You know, I dare say your concern for her is outright cute, Harry." The wizard appeared to be smirking, leaving Harry to gape.

Right. He was getting mocked. No wonder Sirius had apparently developed a reputation for people trying to hex him in school. Lupin apparently had the same trait, it was just better hidden. "Out with it, Mooney," he practically growled, interlacing his fingers with Kaylens and clutching tight.

"I had a theory, Harry, that was in need of testing."

"So that's what all your interestings were about?"

Mooney inclined his head. "In a word, yes. Though my theory hardly covers everything you appear to have happening as of late, Harry."

"Uh huh." He wasn't giving Lupin anything else until he talked, and if he knew what was good for him he'd talk fast.

"My theory is hardly fully formed, Harry. Perhaps if we could touch base upon its finer points soon. It would provide me a bit more time to research my suspicions. There's still a component that I am missing."

Harry was getting really tired of adults keeping information from him. This was Lupin though, and the Marauder hadn't ever exactly kept something from him before.

He was also asking politely.

Harry almost cursed politeness.

Then there was the feeling of Kaylens' hand in his, the sensation triggering something so damn good in him that he remembered that they were on something of a time crunch, given he guaranteed they'd be stuck back in training first thing tomorrow morning. McGonagall really had become a stickler for not giving them breaks, unless it fell right after some type of death defying Order mission.

Somehow he doubted a lack of snogging on the weekend would constitute acceptable excuse for blowing off battle training in her mind.

And he hadn't spent real time with Kaylens in over a month.

Harry tugged Kally up so fast that she actually squeaked, the non-witch's palms smacking hard against his chest to stop her upwards momentum, her fingers immediately curling against his shirt. The slight feel of her fingertips brushing against his pectorals was enough to send a damn shudder through him.

Pointing at Mooney he demanded, "End of week. Otherwise I start giving your future bride ideas about how to torture you creatively."

To Lupin's credit his mouth actually twitched. "Sounds reasonable enough, Harry."

Harry didn't need additional affirmation. He'd already tugged Kaylens with him towards the door, barely stopping to call, "Congratulations again," over his shoulder as he drug his girlfriend out of the study, bolting quickly past Tonks.

They had an entire Sunday ahead of them, and he sure as hell planned to not waste a second of it.