I knocked on the door to Cedric's flat with a trembling fist. I wanted so badly for this conversation to go well, yet I felt like I had no control over the situation.

His eyes widened when he saw me. "Jen? I uh, I wasn't expecting you—"

"I know. I'm sorry." I swallowed my nerves. "Can I come in? I… I have a lot I want to talk about."

He stared at me for a moment, then sprung to life again like he had been freed from petrification. "Sure! Yes, sorry, please." He moved so I could enter, and he shut the door behind me. I focused my mind on what I had planned to say rather than my pulsing blood and brain that screamed last time you were here you broke his heart and eventually decided to sit on the edge of the couch. Cedric hesitated as well before taking a seat on the floor, back leaning against the bookshelf that was nearly empty.

"So, erm, you wanted to talk?" he finally asked, prompting me to look at him. I was caught in the grey of his eyes for a moment, astonished by how earnest and kind yet melancholic they were.

"Yes," I finally said, drawing in a sharp breath. "First, I have to say… I'm sorry." He opened his mouth to respond, but I put up a hand to stop him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was going on. It was dishonest of me. It was the worst thing I could have done, keeping you in the dark, and I won't ever do it again." I did my best to keep eye contact with him, to prove to him that I meant it. I clenched my hands together so they would stop shaking. "I… I hope that maybe, sometime, you can forgive me. But I won't blame you if you don't." I paused, flexing my fingers to get blood flow back. "That's… that's the first bit I wanted to say."

"Can I respond?" he asked, a slight smile on his face.

"Please," I said, hoping I didn't sound terribly desperate.

"I wanted to apologize for how I acted," he said, his voice even. "I jumped to conclusions without hearing your side, and that wasn't fair. It was also really horrible of me to blame you for Lance's actions. I… I hope you can forgive me, too." He bit the inside of his cheek, fidgeting with his hands.

"I… I do," I stuttered, trying to keep my breathing under control. "I forgive you. For everything."

"I forgive you too," he said, an infectious smile brightening his face. I couldn't help but smile too, my face burning red as he stood up on his knees and scooted towards me. He set a hand on my knee and stared into my eyes, eyes intense and full of longing. "I've missed you so much. It's been killing me, thinking things have been so messed up…"

"I… I've missed you too…" I managed out of trembling lips.

"Can I…?" His voice is hardly above a whisper, the heat from his body making my skin tingle. My eyes were half closed, and I just nodded, leaning forward into the kiss. Some mixture of relief and desire flooded my senses. I hardly registered that my knees hit the carpet and his fingers were twisted into my hair. All I wanted was for him to never stop kissing me. Safety and reassurance that I hadn't felt in nearly two months made my heart pound in my chest.

I was lying flat on my back, Cedric over me, lips hovering slightly over mine, when I mumbled, "Um, I have something to ask you."

"Okay." He rolled off me and we both sat up, my back pressed against the couch. He grinned at me, trying to tame his now messy hair. "What's up?"

"I… I have to ask something of you, and you're free to say no…"

"What is it?"

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "So, you remember our theory about Slughorn? How he probably had some memory about Voldemort that Dumbledore wanted to access?"

"Yeah."

"We were right. He gave up a memory to Harry that was troubling at best…" I ran my hands through my hair, trying to remember everything Dumbledore had told us. "Slughorn told him about this thing called a Horcrux."

"Horcrux?" Cedric asked. "I've never even heard of that."

"Well, it's not something we're going to be taught in school. It's super Dark magic," I explained. "Essentially, you split your soul and put part of it in an object."

"You split your soul?"

"Yeah. You… you have to kill someone without feeling remorse. That's the only way."

"Well, no wonder Voldemort made one."

"He made six."

"What?"

"Six. He split his soul six times." I sighed, wishing I had a something to tie my hair back with. "At least, that's Dumbledore's theory. Then, he has seven parts of his soul, and there's this whole thing with seven being a strong magical number." I rolled my eyes. "Anyways, Voldemort's a sentimental prat, so we already know what the Horcruxes are. We've destroyed two already. Remember the whole ordeal with the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Let me guess, Voldemort?"

"Yeup, his diary. That's how he possessed Ginny Weasley. Harry destroyed it with a Basilisk fang, so it's gone for sure."

"And the other?"

"Some ring Dumbledore found. Apparently, it was a family ring from Voldemort's mum."

"So there are four left, and you know what they are?"

"Yeah. There's a locket that used to belong to Slytherin that had also been in his family. A cup he found that belonged to Hufflepuff. We also think his snake, Nagini, is one. And the last one we're not sure about, but with the pattern he's kept, it's something that belonged to Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. More likely Ravenclaw, since the Sword is definitely not a Horcrux, and I can't see him putting in effort for something of Gryffindor's."

"Do you… or Dumbledore, know where any of these are?"

I swallowed hard. "That's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about." He frowned, so I continued. "Tomorrow night, we—Dumbledore, Harry and myself—are going somewhere that might have a Horcrux. But that leaves the castle vulnerable." I really wished I had something to drink and unstick my throat. "I mean, the teachers are there, and Dumbledore has already asked for a couple more Order members there, but… I just have a really bad feeling. Someone's been trying to kill Dumbledore all year, the same time he's been adamant about figuring out Voldemort's plan. I don't think it's a coincidence. I just… well, if you can, can you round up some of the Dementor Squad and patrol the castle? I don't know if anything will happen, I'd just rather not take chances."

I didn't expect him to agree with me, but I had to try. The last time I had a feeling this bad, Cedric had nearly been killed during the Triwizard Tournament.

"Sure." My jaw dropped, but he smiled at me. "I'll ask around. I bet I can get just about everyone on board. The more the better, right?"

"I—yes, of course." I reached out and hugged him tight. "Thank you. I know it's a lot to ask, but—"

"It's not. Don't worry about it," Cedric said firmly. "What time are you lot going to leave the castle?"

"Sometime after dinner, I believe."

"Great. I'll bring reinforcements around five. I'll also send an owl to McGonagall, maybe we can coordinate some efforts."

He looked so calm, collected, like a real leader. My heart swelled. This war was changing us, but authority looked good on Cedric.

"Jen? When, um… do you think you might move back in sometime soon?"

I froze, completely caught off-guard. "I… I hadn't even considered it," I answered truthfully. "I… I guess, we can see how tomorrow goes. I just, I didn't think you'd want me back here—"

"Of course I want you back here," he interrupted. "I miss you terribly, and I don't know how much longer I can live off of sandwiches and tinned soup."

I snorted. "Well, I wouldn't want you to starve."

"Thanks."

I stood up, and he followed suit. "I, um, I have to go. Patrol. But… I'm glad we got to talk. Really."

He pulled me into another tight hug and I closed my eyes, wishing I didn't have to go.

"Good luck tomorrow," he said, voice low and tickling my ear.

"You too," I replied. "Again. Thank you for doing this."

"Not a problem."

Before I could tempt myself further, I left the flat for my patrol, gnawing on my cheek. I still felt incredibly nervous about tomorrow, but I had done what I could. Now it was up to fate.

CEDRIC

At five-thirty, I Apparated to Hogsmead. I walked through the silent village alone, feeling a bit creeped out. I gripped my wand tight as I made my way up the road to the castle. The pleasant June wind ruffled my hair, and I finally made it to the gates. Remus and Tonks were guarding it tonight, and I answered their questions before I continued up to the oak front doors. In the Entrance Hall, I met Sarlanda and Colin.

"McGonagall has us split up by floors," Sarlanda said as I approached. "You and Bill are on five. Did you bring your coin?"

"Yeup," I responded, fishing the old DA Galleon out of my pocket.

"Good. If you get into trouble, just squeeze it. Hermione and I have changed the charm on all of them, so they'll burn in your pocket if anyone grabs theirs."

"What floor are you lot on?"

"I'm on two," Colin said. "And she's on seven. We've got quite a few people, I just hope it's enough in case…"

I nodded. "Right. I'll go up and wait for Bill then."

I took several secret passageways and came out near an empty classroom, so I backtracked down the corridor to where the fifth floor met up with the grand staircase. I figured this would be the best place to wait, so I leaned against the wall and got comfy. After nearly ten minutes, I heard hundreds of footsteps and voices on the stairs. Dinner must have finished. As Ravenclaws and Gryffindors climbed up to their common rooms, I nodded at those I knew. Several shot me questioning looks, but I didn't dare talk to them. I didn't want to cause panic when there might be no need for it at all.

Finally, when there were just stragglers on the stairs, Bill and Fleur appeared on the staircase below, arm in arm. They looked up and beamed at me, and I waved. Fleur gave Bill a kiss before she continued up the stairs, and Bill shoots me a rather cheeky smile.

"I'm hoping for a quiet night, even if it's a bit much to ask for," he says as we start walking down the corridor together. "I'd like to actually get married this summer."

"You will," I assured him. "Can't really see anyone besting either of you in a duel."

Bill laughs, and we continue walking. "I'll take north and east, you take south and west. We'll try and check on the staircases as often as we can. Does that work for you?" I just nodded, having no semblance of a plan myself. "Great. Let's hope we last the night," Bill said, and we split our separate ways.

I walked for hours looking for something suspicious. As the sun set, I lit my wand to make my way through darks corridors. There was no moonlight to help me. I checked as many of the secret passageways as I could remember, but there was nothing. The castle was unusually quiet. I couldn't help the chill on my spine, but I told myself I was just worked up. The anticipation made me want to jump with every corner I turned.

I met with Bill again around ten, but he hadn't seen anything either. He looked more bored than anything, though he may have just been telling himself that nothing was going to happen. I wish I had the same luxury.

I grew more impatient as midnight neared. Surely Dumbledore would have brought them back by now? Unless something had gone terribly wrong in retrieving the Horcrux… no, I couldn't think about that. Something moved in the sky, and I stopped to look out the window, frowning. They were too big to be owls, their shapes too awkward to be Thestrals. But then the notion struck me; it had to be three people on broomsticks, Jennifer, Harry and Dumbledore flying up and out of my sight. Where were they headed? I ran down the corridor, trying to catch a glimpse of them out of a different window, but they were going too high. They must have been headed for a tower, but the only one they could possible land on was the Astronomy tower…

I stopped, struck by indecision. I wanted the others, specifically Sarlanda to go check on the Astronomy tower, but I didn't want to use the coin if people were going to come running to me. I decided to send a Patronus to Sarlanda, carrying the message They've landed on the Astronomy tower. As my silver dog bounded away, I waited, my eyes glued to the window.

Nearly half an hour passed in perfect silence. Surely Sarlanda would have found them? Dread filled my stomach and throat. What had gone wrong? There was no coin burning, no return Patronus, no—

A light was burning in the sky somewhere, casting the stars into an eerie green. I ran along the corridor, making sharp turns and trying to find an angle that would let me see up to the tower. Finally, as I made a final turn into the side that Bill was supposed to be guarding, I saw it. Hovering above the Astronomy tower, bathing it in green light, was the Dark Mark. Almost as soon as it came into view, I felt a burning in my pocket. The seven in the serial number on the coin was burning bright red, and I knew Sarlanda had finally encountered whichever Death Eater. I started sprinting for a hidden staircase, my mind reeling with a single thought, 'She can't be dead, please don't let her be dead.'

A cackling down the hallway, the crashing of spells hitting stone walls, and another burning in my pocket told me the Death Eaters had taken the same staircase I was headed for. I gripped the coin in my pocket tight, the rounded the corner to come face to face with—

Draco Malfoy?

But he sprinted past me before I could even raise my wand, and then Snape was there moments later. He raised his wand and swept me out of the way, and I let them go. Whatever Draco had done, Snape would catch him. Up the corridor was more shouting, so I barreled ahead, preparing myself for the worst.

The laughter belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange, who, along with Fenrir Greyback, was dueling Bill. I shot a curse at Bellatrix, catching her off guard, and I joined Bill in fighting them down the corridor. We passed the tapestry that covered the hidden staircase, matched blow for blow with the Death Eaters, but all I could see was excitement in Bellatrix's eyes. Then her eyes went wide, and she shouted, "Potter!"

I turned briefly to see Harry shooting out of the tapestry and down the corridor, dodging the curse Bellatrix shot at him. She had managed to get away, and I perused her, aiming to tackle her rather than catch her with a spell in case I accidentally hit Harry. But as Harry rounded the corner and Bellatrix was almost to it, I heard an ungodly scream behind me. Bill and Greyback were still dueling, and I stopped. I could pursue Bellatrix and protect Harry, even though they were mostly likely headed downward and towards more of the Order. But Greyback was dangerous, and that scream was terrible. When another scream echoed down the corridor, I made up my mind. I turned on my heel and backtracked, my lungs and legs burning.

This time, the scene was decidedly gristlier. I sent the strongest knock-back jinx at Greyback as I could muster. He flew off of Bill's bleeding body, and I did my best to make my hands not tremor as I sent another jinx at Greyback, pushing him back. He had lost his wand, at least, and soon I had him pushed against the wall. He managed to dodge me, though, and ran down the other end of the corridor and out of sight, probably to go rejoin his fellows. I squeezed the coin in my pocket one more time as I went back to Bill. His chest was still rising and falling, though far too shallow. His face and chest looked like they had been ripped open by a wild animal. Bite marks on his arms and shoulder looked not quite like a wolf, but also not entirely human, either. I conjured bandages that wrapped themselves tight around him, and then a stretcher, and began the perilous journey down to the Hospital Wing. I didn't want to run into anyone else, since I wasn't in the best position to defend myself. We snuck through another secret passageway that cut down and across to just down the hall from the Hospital Wing, and I hurried Bill inside.

Madame Pomfrey nearly hexed me when I came inside. "Diggory!" she cried, nearly fainting at the sight of us. "What in the world is going on?"

"Death Eaters," I said, levitating Bill onto a bed. "He was attacked by Greyback. I'll lock you in, just lay low until—"

"MALFOY!"

I stopped, instantly recognizing that scream. I stuck my head out the door, but I couldn't tell which direction Jennifer's voice had come from.

"Diggory?"

"I have to go. Bar the door. I'll send McGonagall or Sarlanda to get you when it's over."

"Diggory—"

But I had already slammed the door and started running for the grand staircase.

JENNIFER

"Carpe Retractum!"

My spell caught Lance's leg and I whipped him into the wall of the Entrance Hall headfirst. He crumpled to the floor, so I took my chance to charge down the last set of stairs and cast Anapeo on myself. My lungs were burning, my throat constricted, but it didn't matter right now. My vision was red, and I felt like I was breathing fire instead of slowly choking.

Lance had risen shakily to his feet by the time I reached the floor of the hall, and I cast the spell again, throwing him against the opposite wall. His wand sailed out the open oak front door. Maybe I'd let him fetch it before I finished him off. I stuffed my wand in my pocket as he stumbled up, bracing himself against the wall.

He wiped the blood off his mouth, challenging me with his eyes. "Jennifer—"

"Shut up!" I screamed, slamming my fist into his jaw. He spat out even more blood as his head snapped to the side. "You sick piece of shit!" I landed another punch in his gut and he doubled over.

His shoulders shook, and when he faced me, he was laughing weakly. "If I was that bad, you could have just told me."

"How dare you." I grabbed his shoulders and threw him to the floor with all my might. I landed a kick to his stomach before I reached down to hit him in the face again. My knees pinned his arms down like he had done to me so many times. "You violated me!" I felt his nose snap under my fist. "You tortured me!" Something in my hand cracked as I made contact with his jaw again. I couldn't tell his blood from mine anymore. "And I am not afraid of you anymore!"

After I final hit, my left hand was wrapped around his throat, my bloody right hand reaching for my wand. Lance's face was nearly unrecognizable under blood and bruises, but he somehow managed to grin up at me. Dark blood gushed between his teeth.

"If this is what you want, my dear," he said, voice rough and breathless. "Do it. Kill me now. But do it quick, and be civilized. It would be a shame for me to die like a filthy Muggle."

I raised my wand and I was promptly blasted off of Lance, the stabbing, familiar pains of the Cruciatus Curse coursing through my body. It went away as suddenly as it hit me, and I rolled over to see Lance being picked up by a large Death Eater. I fumbled for my wand, shooting curses at the pair, but they were out the oak doors before I could even scramble to my feet.

"Jen."

I spun fast, my wand at the ready, but it was Cedric. He stood at the foot of the stairs, blood on his clothes and hands, wand in hand. He looked at me with solemn eyes.

"It's over, that was the last of the Death Eaters," he called after me as I ran to the front doors. I could see several figures running in the distance, and Harry kneeling in the grass. Cedric followed me out on to the grounds as I ran to my brother. Above us, the Dark Mark cast ugly shadows over the grass and the castle. I stopped and dropped to my knees next to Harry. Beside us, Dumbledore's body was broken and splayed. I saw tears drip off of Harry's nose, and I wrapped my arms around him.

We sat there in the grass on that warm June night, holding each other as we cried, unable to believe the man we had admired so much was lying dead in front of us.

Sometimes, you just have to solve your problems with your fists.

This was another instance where I combined two chapters, hence taking a while to update. There was a ton of picking and choosing involved, but I chose to go with scenes we don't cover in the book.

Drop me a review and let me know what you thought! And thank you so much for all of the favorites and follows and reviews so far, they make my day!