Hermione used to tell Holly that she had an absolutely wretched posture. She'd do her homework hunched over like a bat - and Ron's comparison to Snape had not helped her temper at all - while she squinted at whatever it was she'd been reading. Squinted because Holly was incredibly near-sighted and while Holly could spot a snitch from miles away, she could not read the words right in front of her face. Truthfully, the incorrect prescription of glasses she'd worn for years hadn't helped. Thankfully Bill Weasley had realized the prescription was wrong when she'd been fourteen, and he'd dragged her off to get her a pair of expensive automatically updating glasses. Of course, by then it was too late to fix her posture unless Holly worked on it, which she hadn't.

So while Ace slept in Ron's room, Holly sat hunched over in one of the chairs before the fire. It had been her spot before Ron and Hermione had left. She'd sit there with Hermione nose deep in her book, and Ron would be sketching something he'd never showed them. Hermione would be trying to figure out what could be a Horcrux as she went over Dumbledore's clues again and again. While Holly would be looking for a way to destroy them and the locket, while also aware that any method she came up with, also had to work on her.

Holly remembered one afternoon Ron had slammed his hands on the table startling both Holly and Hermione. That day had been a better one with Holly wearing the locket. He'd taken both their hands and yelled; "this is insane, we need a new point of view because we're getting nowhere! Come on, let's do something fun for a change, get our minds off this." They'd ended up dancing and playing games and just enjoying themselves while they still could. It had worked too, Hermione had realized that afternoon that Godric Gryffindor's sword could destroy the locket if they got their hands on it. Unfortunately, the sword would not help Holly.

Recalling Ron's comment that they had needed another point of view Holly later tried to work on different problems when she got too frustrated with one. Which was why she was focusing on Ace's odd issue, instead of her own. Not to mention Holly knew that strictly speaking her war could go on for years, and she at least had the rest of the year to live. While Ace was facing execution soon, she didn't know how far away that was though, it was something she'd have to ask Ace once he woke up.

Distantly Holly desperately missed Ron's scratching quill and Hermione's soft mumbles as they worked. But while Ace was deadly silent in Ron's room, Holly was thankful for the awareness that he was there. That knowledge alone relaxed her in a way she couldn't quite describe and didn't quite understand. And perhaps it was his presence and the change he brought forth that had her quickly realizing something.

"Astral projection!" Holly cried, punching the air in victory as she nearly unseated her book right into the fire. Thankfully she caught it before it could go over.

Astral projection had to be what was happening to Ace, it fit perfectly. Conscious but incorporeal in a location he hadn't been before, unable to touch or be seen - excluding his haki and herself - but aware. It fit except for the fact that Ace didn't have magic. Though it must be possible to perform astral projection on someone else, but how? Who? And why?!

"Why end up with me though?" Holly asked herself as she tapped her chin, "he's from another world… oh-oh no." Holly's eyes went a bit wide. If it was astral projection than Ace was physically still in prison, which meant his body was helpless and soon to be dragged off to execution while his mind was with her-

Something struck the floor behind her and Holly snapped around hand going for her wand. In all likelihood, she knew it was probably Ace, but paranoia kept her alive as Moody drilled into her. Scanning the area Holly frowned. One of the cups Ron had left on the back had fallen off the shelf mysteriously, and no one was there. Should that have happened to someone else they might not have reacted as Holly did, they might have come up with an excuse for why it happened or dismissed it. Might have assumed Ace nudged it on his way to bed and it had taken that long to fall. Holly wasn't most people.

Strange occurrences like that had happened all her life; Potter luck Ron used to call it. Without fail every time she needed to pay attention to something, something would fall near her. It happened when she'd been desperate for a hint in her fourth year about the dragons. Something had landed just in time for her to stop and overhear Ron talking to Neville about finding a way to warn her about the dragons without physically being present. And when she'd later needed a sign about the lake, a cup of water had splashed over the egg when she'd had it open and had altered the screeching enough to give her a sign. Instances like that had happened all her life, and Holly instinctively responded to them now.

Instantly she shot to her feet wand in hand and quickly cast a scanning charm for the area around her tent. It came up empty.

Empty.

"Ace." Holly exhaled and rushed for Ace's room in a rush of panic. Because they spell should have picked up everyone in the area outside herself, which meant Ace, and if it hadn't then-

She burst into Ace's room and came to a dead stop. In the middle of the bed was Ace hanging on invisible chains and more faded than she'd ever seen him. Holly had to strain her eyes to make out his form. As Holly watched Ace abruptly jerked like a force as invisible as the chains had struck him across the face. She watched in shock as Ace shook violently then straightened up near instantly and snarled like an animal.

"Ace!?" she called, stepping forward warily. His eyes were open, but he wasn't reacting like he could see her, which made her concerned that he was sleeping. She knew how violent she could be after a nightmare and considering what she'd seen of Ace's speed, she was afraid he could hurt her accidentally, especially if his strength matched that speed. She had no idea if he'd use haki in his sleep, and the unknowns of the situation ensured she didn't touch him.

Still, the fact was, Holly was worried. As Ace jerked again and grunted, as a blackening bruise formed on his cheek and eye, as he did nothing to stop what was happening to him and as he continued to not react to her.

"Ace! Wake up!" she ordered from a decent distance. Nothing, he wasn't responding. Holly bit her lip glancing around as if looking for help where none was to be found. Left alone she reached forward to grab him and shake him out of it as he jerked violently again. "Ace!" her hand went right through his shoulder and she yanked back. Stumbling backward Holly watched as Ace's head swung back and hit an invisible wall.

But still, he didn't wake.

Rouge hadn't been able to watch her son when Lily had been forced to release the spell on him temporarily. She hadn't wanted to, not while the kids were bonding. But the guards had come, and neither Lily nor Rouge had wanted Ace mentally absent while they were so close to him.

Now Rouge had left to watch Holly, while Lily watched over Ace. Lily knew Rouge had to be feeling intensely guilty, for Rouge had energy saved up inside her before this but hadn't known it. Rouge had been able to use her haki, but while Ace was trapped within Impel down, nothing Rouge could do with haki would help him. So Rouge had put her faith in Holly and had given Lily all her energy to connect Ace and Holly mentally. Which meant as the guards came to taunt and beat her son, Rouge could do nothing and had fled unable to watch.

Lily frankly didn't want to watch either. This cruelty reminded her of Azkaban, but instead of the monstrous Dementors, it was humans torturing a young man for who his father was and for no other reason but that.

"You're good for her," Lily told Ace even if he couldn't hear her as she tried to distract herself, told him as the guard punched Ace across the face while he hung limp. Lily watched as the young man bared his teeth at the guard, never showing a moments weakness. "She's smiling more, and she's actually laughing now! I haven't heard her laugh in months." Lily winced as Ace's head cracked to the back of the cell, "she's going to be good for you too."

Lily knew her daughter and Ace were bonding, and she knew from what Rouge had told her that Ace was slow to trust but eternally loyal to those that earned it… Holly was the same. She knew they were bonding, but Lily was ever aware of the ticking clock on the energy within her and how long both Ace and Holly really had. Holly who's fate was still directly tied to the Horcrux in her head and the future of the magical world. And Ace, who had an axe over his head held up by a timer in the hands of the Marines. She knew if her magic ran out too early then everything she, James, Sirius, and Rouge had done… would be useless. She knew if Ace and Holly couldn't learn to trust each other, then they would likewise both be dead before the year-end. She tried to have hope, but Lily had always been a pessimist. James was the positive one between them, the one who had faith and so much joy within him, and since she remained with Ace, James stayed with Holly, and without James present Lily couldn't erase the thoughts plaguing her.

Another crack of flesh had Ace violently thrown to the side, and still, he didn't make a sound. And Lily desperately wished she had the magic to spare, to destroy and burn these monstrous men that thought they represented justice. Lily brutally crushed the idea, she dared not waste a moment of her energy on them. For one spell could mean the difference between life and death for Ace, and for Holly. So she remained still, vigilant at Ace's side as he was beaten black and blue.

The guards finished, and Lily sagged in relief when she felt arms wrap around her middle. Lily leaned back, knowing right away it was James come from Holly's side. James coming to her because he always, always, knew when she needed him. "His soul is still present with her, they're still tied together, so we don't have to recast that spell," James told her his face in a frown, "But… his form there is moving like it is here and we decided to bring her attention to it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lily asked as Ace spat out blood and shook out his head to stop it from ringing.

"Rouge and I agreed, it's better she has an idea of what's happening, especially if this happens again." Which in all likelihood it would. Lily nodded, agreeing with their idea before pulling away and triple checking that the guards were gone.

"Do we know how we're going to get her to the wand yet?" She asked giving the wounds Ace had sustained a second look. A bit of bruise paste, a few healing charms and he'd be fine; but Lily had neither. She could do nothing for the young man who was her daughter's soul-mate who was saving Holly just by being around her.

In another world, Lily might not have met Ace considering the different worlds. But if they had, well Lily would likely have watched this man marry her Holly. She'd see him standing at the altar with her, Holly would bring him home for holidays and James would do everything to prank/test him to see if he was worthy. Then one day Lily and James would have met Holly and Ace's children, with Ace and Rouge's beautiful freckles, Holly and her eyes, and James' obnoxious hair that Ace matched curiously well.

Lily longed for such a world, a world where she got to raise her child and perhaps a second. A world where Ace did not have to suffer the way he was. Where Holly and Ace both did not have to fear death at such a young age.

But that world didn't exist.

"We're working on it," James told her gently, it was one of the few things he and Sirius could do for her and for Ace, they knew how important it was. But getting Holly to the blond menace that currently owned the wand was proving tricky. Doubly so now that Ace was present.

"So, no." Lily knelt before Ace who spat out a glob of blood on the ground, and she reached for his head. Lily paused as Ace suddenly sagged, defeat in his body and his soul. "You're worried it's not real aren't you." She realized looking at the boy who physically was as old as she and James when they'd died. They'd have to find a way to tell him it was real because if he didn't trust it, he didn't trust Holly and they wouldn't bond enough for Holly to try to survive and for her to save him. "We'll figure it out."

Lily reached forward and sank her fingers into Ace's hair, and her spell dragged his consciousness away, his body going limp once more.

Ace watched the guards leave as a chill rushed over his skin. Only when they were long gone did he allow himself to sag onto his chains and really feel what had happened too him. Because, because he was a moron, he'd allowed himself to have something as stupid as hope. He'd actually believed Holly Potter had been a real woman, believed that with her magic she could save him if he saved her. And then he'd woken up to the guards rounding the corner toward his cell.

His blackened eye and the bruises coating his arms were all the sign he needed. She'd been a trick, a trap to get him to lower his barriers, to give out information on his father and siblings. He gave a sardonic laugh, it was a good trick. She was charming, attractive, and frankly his type. She had a ballsy-ness that drew him to her, a sarcastic wit that allowed her to banter with him, but not the type to get offended either by what was discussed. And her body, her eyes were as green as the forests he'd loved as a child, while he'd always loved dark hair. And she could fight, which meant she'd be able to go out to sea and actually defend herself.

He'd liked her, he could admit that. Perhaps that was why he'd fallen for it, it was probably why he should have suspected her more. She fit him too well, and clearly, there had been a reason for that. She was designed by marines, designed to trap him.

It hurt… he'd wanted her to be real, wanted a chance with her…but, of course, he didn't deserve that. All he deserved was death, that's all.

"Ace. That can't be true! They're your family, of course they'll save you."

He grit his teeth, grinding them together as he scanned the area for a den-den. Surely the Marines had to be recording him, laughing at his expense. He didn't see one, but that didn't mean they weren't there.

A chill brushed over his forehead, and ice entered his brain like the worst headache he'd ever had. Ace recoiled gasping as his eyes went wide, as he saw a flash of red… there she was, the Marine, the one responsible for this-

The world twisted away from him, glittering and dancing before he found himself back on the bed in 'Holly's' tent. With the figment sitting right in front of him- and Ace snarled in rage.

Holly yelped and jerked backward when Ace suddenly gasped and sagged forward. As he scanned the area around him and caught her eyes with his own for the first time in the hours he'd been out. Relief rushed through her heart as he returned to himself, she'd honestly been terrified that she'd end up alone again. She'd gotten attached to Ace in a way that hadn't happened since she'd first met Ron. Her connection with Ace had been instant, unmistakable, undeniable, and in another situation, she would have fallen hard and fast. She could picture it, the pair of them in his world, a pirate come to her town and the two of them bumping into each other on the streets before snarking at each other for hours. She'd probably want to ask him out but would be too afraid to, and he'd ask instead. Then she'd leave her town for him and travel the world like she'd always dreamed of.

But this wasn't that world, and Holly didn't have the luxury of trust with what lay in Ron's bed. So Holly shoved back the day-dreams and forced herself to keep neutral even if worry had been building for the last several hours as she watched Ace's limp body grow black and blue with unnaturally occurring bruises. Keep indifferent to the man she had an obnoxious building attraction to.

"Alright Ace? You were kinda… going a bit weird there-" she fell back on their banter, trusting he'd respond to her as he had the other times. But before she got too far into it, rage overtook Ace's face.

Holly hadn't seen Ace fight for real, she didn't know how fast he moved except for the one spell he'd dodged, and she didn't know he was much faster than that when he tried. So when Ace charged at her, she was taken aback and had no chance at all to avoid his grab. Ace was fast, faster than any spell she'd seen cast. He moved almost instantaneously, and Holly had no chance to avoid him. Not as his hand blackened and he grabbed her shirt by the collar and suddenly slammed her into the nearest wall.

"Is this fun for you?" he snarled, pushing firmly against her collarbone.

"W-what?" she stuttered hands automatically going up to catch his wrists, but they unlike the rest of him wasn't blackened with his haki, and she went straight through leaving her helpless to his grip.

"Dragging me around, beating me black and blue then giving me this fucking hope only to rip it away?! What do you want? What secrets do you think you'll take from me!"

"Ace-"

"Is it fun?" he shook her slightly, and Holly built a bit of magic into her hands, she didn't need her wand, but it certainly helped. However Ace knew she used a wand to attack, which meant Holly had to defend herself without it, lest he snap it with his speed. She wasn't sure if a spell would help her, but while he wasn't yet hurting her, she was wary that he might soon. His touch was firm but not bruising, not cutting off her airway, it was keeping her still and was incredibly threatening, but that was it. Considering how fast he moved Holly reasoned his strength was not to laugh at, he could no doubt snap her neck like a twig.

At least then the Horcrux would be gone from the world.

"Why don't you just drop the act, don't know why you're bothering with this. Why not just go all out and show me everyone I love dead around my feet, I bet it would be more entertaining! Oh unless you're one of those, convinced I can't love because I'm a pirate right!"

"Ace I don't know what you're talking about!" Holly charged more magic into her palms ready but hoping she could calm him down.

"Don't lie to me Marine, I figured it out- you-" Holly saw something from the side-table of Ron's bed suddenly lift off the table and hurl itself at the back of Ace's head. But she knew it wasn't her, she still had control of her magic. So what was that? Was the coincidences in her life, more than coincidences?

Ace jerked forward surprising them both when the item actually hit him instead of going right through his head to hit her. He gave a surprised gasp and glanced back; seeing nothing, he turned back on her: "What did you do now?" He demanded.

"It wasn't me!" she told him offended, he knew bloody well that her magic didn't work on him, "I can't even use magic on you."

"Likely story-" his grip tightened, and she decided enough was enough.

"Okay, that's enough now." Holly released the building magic in her palms and hurled it at Ace. Amazingly the instinctive spell worked, and it shoved him back a few steps, forcing him to release her. That done Holly swiftly cast a simple ward between them, just in case. "You need to calm down because I have no idea what's going on with you. One minute I'm reading my book - to get you home by the way - and I came to check on you to find you hanging on the bed and acting like someone was hitting you. Then you woke up and freaked." She gestured loosely to the bed, "so, what happened?"

He bared his teeth at her: "I went to sleep and woke up in Impel Down just in time for the guards to find their enjoyment in my flesh."

Holly shot a look at the bruising and scowled, she was beginning to suspect- No, she shook her head and focused on Ace. "So you assumed I was involved, that I'm keeping you here to mess with you."

"Obviously." He nudged loosely at the ward between them with a hand confirming for himself that she'd placed something there. Deep down he approved, she protected herself… which was another reason he liked and hated her.

Holly puffed up in indignant fury and stomped her foot: "Obviously not! I haven't done a thing, and if you remember, I was the one trying to leave you this whole time. Also! You offered the deal to me, not the other way around. I haven't been taking steps here Ace, that's been you. So calm down and let's think about this rationally."

"Rationally?!"

"Yes!" She waved away the ward noting he had calmed down, then stepped forward and pretended to poke him in the chest, "an unknown force sends you to me while you're trapped in prison, this same force brings you back to prison when the guards arrive, then when they leave, it brings you back here. Do you know what that makes me think?" Ace grunted, curious despite himself, "it makes me think it's looking out for you."

He made a face uncertain now: "…what?"

Holly rolled her eyes, placing her hand on her hip: "you're trapped and going to be executed in prison so you get sent to someone who can help with magic. But it can't send you physically, only mentally." She gestured in the general direction of the living room, "I did some reading while you were out, I believe what's happening to you is a type of astral projection. That means your consciousness is here, but your body is still in your world. Which also means if you had remained mentally here when these guards showed up, they would have found your body helpless to defend itself. Now, what would they have done if they found you like that?"

Ace winced quickly filling in the blanks of her question. It would have been bad. The previous times he'd been able to somewhat alter where the worst damage was going, he'd been able to brace himself. But if he hadn't been able to do that…

"So, whoever it is, drags you back so you can handle the guards. Then when they're gone, and you're safe again, you get sent back to me."

"Who would do that? And why pick you? The theory doesn't fit."

"I'm sure someone exists that would help you, and as for why me… well, maybe because I needed help too. Maybe you're the 'power the dark lord knows not,'"

"What nonsense are you saying now."

She flapped a dismissive hand: "It's part of a prophecy that was given about me and you-don't-know-who." Ace gave a single chuckle, and Holly smirked pleased he'd calmed down properly, "I'm supposed to defeat him with some power he doesn't know about and considering you're invisible and immune to… most magic. You'd be a pretty good power."

Ace sagged, feeling a pang of growing guilt. What Holly said made sense, more sense than his theory did. Because in retrospec, if the Marines wanted information, they'd probably just torture him for it. They wouldn't let him enjoy his last two weeks of life. Still: "That doesn't explain what hit me."

"I am going to assume that was the being that sent you here, whoever it is probably doesn't want you messing with me since I'm supposed to help-" something dropped off a shelf nearby, and they both turned to look at it with equally baffled expressions. Then Holly's grew triumphant as she shot him a superior look that just screamed 'see! I told you so.'

Ace's lips quirked, he was unable to help himself from being mildly amused.

Hope was dangerous Ace knew, it was dangerous to have hope in Impel down. But even as he knew that Ace knew that he was a pirate and he knew deep down he still held a distant hope that he'd maybe survive to live the year. Hoped his father and siblings wouldn't let him die without a fight. It was the type of hope he had never carried as a child, a kind of faith he blamed entirely on Luffy.

Ace knew that he had a desperate hope that Holly was not a trick. That the thought of her being the result of marines had hurt in a way he couldn't understand. It had been easy to believe it, that she'd been fake when he'd been in the dark and cold, when he'd been beaten by marines, and she hadn't been in front of him. It was harder to smother hope when it was physically in front of him, when he could touch Holly, and she could fight back. It was harder to believe as anger, exasperation, and amusing rushed across her features. Or when she looked at him with concern and fondness that he knew a marine could never fake.

She could be real, that is what he wanted to believe. She could save him. She could be a real person - could be his future- or she could be a trap, he could kill her in this potential dream, and if she was a lie, he'd know the truth right then. But if she, then he'd ruin his only chance at escape.

So the question was, could he allow himself to hope or not? And the moment he thought it, all Ace could do was picture Luffy's face and knew he'd have to at least try.

"Do you have ghosts in your world?" Ace asked.

"Yes, but people with magic can usually see them, and I can't see anything."

They continued to stare at each other, and eventually, Ace said with a touch of apology in his voice: "how about I cook something? Without burning it." He tried to tease, to recover from what had just happened as he gave into hope slightly.

A part of Holly didn't want to let him get away with it so easily, a small glimmer that screamed out a need for an apology. But as the locket at her neck twinged, she found himself too exhausted to care. Instead, Holly allowed them to move on; and she told herself she wasn't overly bothered, told herself that Ron held his anger far longer than Ace did, and Ace had damned good reason to be tense and suspicious of her. Just like she did him. Just like she found it useful to know in the worst case, a ward would work against him. But Holly also knew that unless something drastic happened, it was very likely she'd never truly trust Ace, she'd never tell Ace about the horcruxs. Because as much as she believed her theory about Ace; paranoia had kept her alive, and until she didn't need to be 'alive' anymore she'd hold onto it.

"That would be nice, I have a bit more reading to do on astral projection. I think I might be able to reverse what's been done to you, but… in retrospect that doesn't fix much." They exited the bedroom together as Ace headed for the fridge. Holly meanwhile thought over her new problem and realization. If she was right about everything, then whoever sent Ace to her wanted her to save him. The problem was Holly had no idea how Ace was in a completely different world in an 'unbreakable' prison. While she was trying to end a war while timing her death correctly.

Technically, her agreement with Ace only said she had to send him back to his world, which knowing what she did about astral projection meant she could do that at any time. But now she knew the truth, sending him back would be sending him to his death at the hands of Marines. She would be sentencing him to death as much as Dumbledore had done her, and that didn't sit at all right with her. She liked Ace, she didn't want him to die.

Ace didn't respond to her comment clearly, having realized the same thing. Instead, he gave a brief nod and strode toward the kitchen going through it like it was second nature, which made her assume he was used to the muggle technology her world had for the most part. Sitting back in her chair, Holly snatched up her book and returned to reading, offhand she wrote down a few theories about who could have sent Ace to her. But whoever it was would need magic and not haki, and they'd have to be aware of her problem. Not to mention, why Ace? If she thought about it in reverse, instead of who would pick her for him, she thought of who would pick him for her.

Holly lowered her book and glanced toward Ron's room and made a face. Was it possible whoever it was… was dead? Which could mean… no, that wasn't possible, if there were ghosts involved she'd be able to see them. Perhaps it was a wizard in Ace's world, or even her own magic acting up? She was reasonably sure she wasn't using magic, but who really knew, perhaps it was something passive in her blood.

In the end though, there was little point in dwelling on it. Holly had larger problems to deal with; issues like finding a way to save Ace from her world, not to mention hopefully saving her own life after he was gone.

She reached up and rubbed at her neck, the locket was dragging on her again and cutting into her skin. It was growing harder and harder to wear it now that she didn't have Ron and Hermione to share in the burden. And Ace, he could neither wear it nor know what it was. Holly knew because of that she could never let Ace touch the locket, his mind would have no defenses at all against it.

Shaking her head, Holly returned to her book until Ace dropped a massive amount of food between them. He split the amount in half, leaving her gaping because Holly had never finished that amount of food in her life. It was more than even the Dursley's ate times three.

"Ace this is too… much…" she trailed off as he opened his mouth and inhaled the food in front of him. She stared in quiet awe and disgust, he ate more than Dudley and Vernon put together and faster than Ron, and yet he was… muscular? How did that work?! Was that a guy thing? She'd seen plenty of boys at the Hogwarts table inhale their food like Ace was doing now, but the amount was unreal.

"Are you gon- eat? 'S good." He rumbled at her, meat hanging out of his mouth.

"Y-yeah." She set aside her book and took a small amount. Holly took a tentative bite and found Ace staring her down, he'd finished his half and as Holly watched his hands twitched. Her brow rose. He was acting like he was only barely refraining from stealing and wolfing down her meal as well. "Do you want some of mine? I don't eat much?" she never had, and probably never would either.

"Yes!" Ace grabbed for her plate and took a significant chunk of the meat he'd left there, which also vanished into the bottomless pit that was his stomach.

Snorting as she ate her smaller portion Holly had the feeling Ace and Ron would get along just fine if they ever met.

"Ready?"

Ace stood at her side, feet apart and fists up, he cracked his hands and neck then nodded to her. "Ready."

Holly rolled up her sleeves, triple checked the locket was hidden and spelled under her neck so it couldn't be removed if something went wrong. Then Holly cleared her throat, and together they spoke the same name.

"Voldemort."