Molly's arrival was announced by the smell of food. Zoe's daughter Luisa's eyes lit up and her smile became positively feral. Remus was a fine cook and, when Fleur was there, they ate the breakfast of French kings. But the rest of them were fairly useless. It was a wonder that Bill and Charlie had survived on their own because all they could make was pasta and oven-ready meals. Sirius claimed that being in Azkaban for so long meant that he had never learned how to cook and, anyway, he was in ministry holding as things were.

Molly bringing food was very welcome. It was the first meeting and Bill's nerves were shot. Though they were essentially only family, the risk of being found out was high. Bill - nor any members of the newly christened Council of Resistance - had the reputation of Albus Dumbledore to keep them safe if this went wrong.

While his mum passed out the food, Bill glanced around the table. Sirius was missing. Bill was sitting in his seat. He would be back to reclaim it soon. Remus sat by Bill's side, Tonks at his right. Fleur and Percy were talking next to them and then his father sat, watching his mother dishing out food. On the other side of the table, Charlie and Zoe were discussing something, her eyes a bit dim, and Luisa, Zoe's daughter, was trying to butt in on their conversation frequently.

Ten members. A Council of Resistance made up of ten people, most of whom were Weasleys. It would grow. Bill was confident that it would grow, but it would take time and trust, and there were many things to do.

They had all sworn a vow, each one of them, for complete loyalty. There was no chance that any one of them would leak anything, not even Percy, not on purpose. But there was always the chance of discovery by accident - someone being suspicious, someone seeing something they shouldn't. It was all a risk.

But it was worth the risk if it brought Voldemort down.

Bill took a plate of casserole from Remus as he passed it down the line. When they all had food and had blessed it, Bill cleared his throat. "Welcome to the first official meeting of the Council of Resistance. This is our headquarters and everyone in this room, including Luisa, is a founding member. To be clear, Luisa has sworn a vow not to share anything she hears here, but she will not be fighting until she turns 17." Bill's mother still looked unhappy but Luisa looked radiant at being considered so well.

"Today, we are going to discuss possible members to invite to join the Council and write up our manifesto in order to attract them."

Bill felt quite important at the solemnity in the room that his voice had incited. There was no official leader of the Council so Bill was impressed that everyone respected him just for speaking.

"I think we should invite Kingsley Shacklebolt," Tonks said formally. Quickly, the suggestion was accepted. Everybody voted positively, even Luisa.

Percy was next, with the suggestion of Amelia Bones. This one created the first dissension in the group. "I disagree," Charlie spoke up. Since sharing a room with Percy, Charlie quite often found himself disagreeing with them. It was just like being back at the Burrow. Bill found it very amusing, especially since Percy was giving it back nowadays, rather than just storming off to tell their mother. "She works for the ministry."

If Bill was honest, he shared Charlie's concerns. It was a worry having someone that they didn't know very well joining when they were a ministry employee. Though Amelia might seem to be lovely - she was dealing very well with Sirius' trial - that was not the be all and end all. She was a politician, in one of the highest offices in the country, and politicians were skilled liars.

Percy shook his head. "She is the most honest person I know. She chose to be a law enforcement officer to fight crime not to be rewarded."

"Let's be honest, Perce, your honesty radar isn't exactly accurate." Bill barked out a laugh and Percy scowled.

"Charlie!" their mother snapped immediately. Bill grinned. It was the sort of comment that Ginny would have loved.

"Alright," Remus called them to attention, though his lips were twitching. "Let's vote on Amelia."

The motion passed and they decided to invite Amelia into their group. Bill felt quite anxious about it but figured that if it worked out, Amelia would be the most valuable member of the group. By the time they had agreed on another ten or so people and their manifesto, Bill was exhausted and ready for bed. He met Fleur's eyes across the room and she gave him a sleepy smile, her eyes drooping beautifully.

"Can I just talk about auror intelligence on Harry and Ginny?" Tonks asked, slowly and awkwardly as if she knew that everyone was exhausted. Luisa was literally asleep on her mother's shoulder. Her question made Bill perk up though.

"Is there news?" he asked eagerly. His mother's eyes had filled up, like they did every time Ginny was mentioned. Tonks cringed.

"Nothing too exciting. Sorry to get you excited." Bill slumped back in his chair, wishing that Fleur was sitting closer to him. "We just think they are still in Edinburgh but auror intelligence on us is low and we have lost them. We think they've changed their appearances again, but we're unsure."

"Well, that was really helpful, thanks, Tonks," Zoe said, shaking her head in disbelief. Tonks shrugged and looked at Remus who quirked his lips to one side.

"And, with that, I think it's time for bed," Bill said, rolling his eyes and placing his hands flat on the table. "Zoe, you and Lu can stay here, in Sirius' bed if you don't want to carry her home." Zoe nodded with a small smile at her slumbering daughter. "Goodnight."

XXX

It was dark when Harry and Ginny reached Edinburgh station, just as they had planned. Harry glanced over at Ginny, whose blonde hair sat just above her shoulders and the top of which was hidden with a York University baseball cap. Harry wore a Leeds University one over his hair, that entirely hid the honey brown cut he'd had, with short sides and a floppy mess on top. The floppy mess was perfect for Ginny to run her hands through. And Harry loved that.

And he loved Ginny too.

He knew that, according to films, it was too early to say that he loved her. According to television and books and all that rubbish, it was too early to say that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But he had never seen a film that had a boy save a girl when they were children and then have to run away from the magical and muggle governments, with only each other to rely on. Harry knew that he loved her and he knew that it was right for them.

Saying that, he had not told Ginny yet. He did not want to scare her. It wasn't worth the risk, in his view. He knew how he felt about her and he showed her how he felt. The words weren't important.

Ginny's hand on his brought him out of his thoughts. He turned to smile at her. "You look deep in thought," she said.

Harry shook his head. "I'm just glad to be back here."

"Me too."

They wandered on to the bus stop. The walk seemed so natural, very familiar, like they had never been gone at all. And, they were not only licenced as drivers now, they were also together - like together together. Not like before when they had pretended. Harry grinned.

The bus arrived and they got on. "The weather is lovely today, isn't it?" Ginny said, laying her head on Harry's shoulder. Harry pressed a kiss to her head and nodded.

"You look lovely today," Harry whispered in her ear. Ginny rolled her eyes but Harry thought she was smiling. They sat together in silence, watching out of the window as Edinburgh passed by. Castle Street arrived earlier than Harry expected and he pulled on Ginny's hand to point out a colourful street vendor.

"I know, there's no police, is there?"

Ginny turned to Harry, her face screwed up in curiosity. Harry blinked. He glanced back out onto Castle Street. "Shit, you're right," he said quietly. Before they had left, there were many aurors and police officers around Castle Street and, now, there were none. Harry searched more intently and found two police officers speaking with an old woman by the post office and another by the bank, but that was it. And there was no sight of any aurors - unless they had learned how to obscure themselves better, to appear more muggle.

Harry's stomach settled. He hadn't realised quite how anxious he had been feeling about coming home, though he had wanted to go back to their house. The prospect of finding death eaters and aurors in Edinburgh was a large possibility and their having left Castle Street was a good sign - though it may still mean that they had discovered their house and were lying in wait for them there.

Ginny would call those thoughts morbid, and she'd be right. There was likely no one waiting for them at their house, no trap, no death. Harry put the idea out of his mind and enjoyed the rest of the bus journey. Soon, they would leave all of this behind and fly away. It was nice to appreciate it again.

When they returned to the house, Ginny collapsed onto the sofa immediately, her hat falling off the side and her hair splaying out underneath her. Harry leant on the doorframe and laughed. "Are you tired, Gin?"

She looked up at him, her lips upturned, and said, "no, just hungry."

Harry snorted. "Surprise."

XXX

Harry laid the plate of food in front of her and nodded at the bowl of cheese. Ginny grinned in thanks, immediately digging into the pasta dish that Harry had made for her. Harry passed her a glass of wine - because their drivers' licenses said they were old enough to drink and, so, they did - and then sat down himself.

"So, I was thinking that it's odd that the world hasn't noticed that Ravenclaw was a queen before, given that her most famous belonging is literally a crown," Ginny said, after swallowing. Harry gave her a blank look, the sort that she gave him whenever he discussed muggle things in too much detail. "You know, Ravenclaw's diadem. Surely you've heard people talk about it at Hogwarts. It's really famous."

Harry shrugged, swirling spaghetti on his fork. "Well, I have not heard of it. She had a crown and everybody just thought that was normal? Do many witches wander around with crowns?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "No, dickhead, it was a special crown, that made her more intelligent and wiser."

"Oh, well, of course," Harry said, "I suppose a pin or a necklace wouldn't have done the same thing. A crown was the obvious option."

"Shut up," Ginny said, trying to hide her smile at his sarcasm. "I just think it's crazy no one knew. As soon as you start looking at things, it all comes together."

Harry hummed. "We have been quite nerdy over it, though."

Ginny acknowledged that. "But surely some people who knew French and history could put together that her husband, Sir Daigle's name literally means Ravenclaw in French? Like Sir Daigle - Serdaigle. How did that not get noticed?"

"Maybe we're just super smart," Harry teased. Ginny arched an eyebrow.

"Somehow I doubt it."

"Do you think the queen is magical?" Harry asked a few moments later, tomato sauce on his lip. Ginny giggled and leaned over the table to wipe his mouth. He blushed cutely.

"The current queen? I don't know. Do you?"

Harry shrugged. "Mary Queen of Scots was."

"We think she was," Ginny corrected.

"I think we're right."

"Everybody always thinks they're right. That's how wars start." Ginny laughed at the exasperated look on Harry's face. "It would be cool if the queen was magical. Imagine if she just came out and started battling Voldemort. That would be cool."

"She's like seventy. I don't think it would be."

"McGonagall is seventy," Ginny pointed out. Harry inclined his head and pointed his fork at her to acknowledge her point, before returning to his food.

A few minutes later, Harry said, "Where is this crown, anyway? I'd like to give it a go."

Ginny grinned. "So would a lot of people. It's long lost, since centuries ago." Harry grunted in disapproval. "I know. Many people have tried to search for it but nobody has found it."

"Nobody has told anyway that they've found it, anyway," Harry said. Ginny nodded. Perhaps somebody had found it and was hiding it away for their own personal use. That was actually a good point. Perhaps a descendant of Ravenclaw, if there were any, had the diadem and was using it. Perhaps there was somebody that was using it to make all the best decisions and had got very rich from it. The Weasleys could do with that.

Though Ginny suspected that it would have suggested stopping a few children earlier, and, thus, Ginny wouldn't exist. So, she supposed, every cloud had a silver lining.

XXX

Sirius groaned as he woke up to the sound of someone banging on his cell. The previous night, he'd not been able to sleep because of the screeching of the man in the cell opposite. He'd stopped being accustomed to crazy prisoners when he had escaped from Azkaban and, now, they impeded his sleep.

"Black," the dark-robed auror at the door to his cell said, his features boyish and eyes wide. He mustn't have done many shifts at Azkaban yet. Sirius grunted a response and the auror said, "your trial date has been set."

Sirius' heart soared. This was it. He was going to be free. It was closing in, the freedom. He'd get out and then he'd see Zoe. Sirius closed his eyes at the thought. "It's in a week," the auror added.

Sirius nodded his thanks and the auror left to the next cell. A week. A week until he would be free. The court would see his innocence, would see Wormtail's failures. They would see what really happened and then he and Zoe would be together, like he'd always wanted.

Imagining James' face at the news that he and Zoe would be finally together was a comforting thought. He could practically hear his friend's approval, could see Lily's smile at the thought. He and Zoe had always been meant for each other. Perhaps if he had pulled his head out of his arse earlier, she never would have left.

He didn't mean that she wouldn't still have been attacked by Malfoy. It was likely that she would have. The thought made Sirius' stomach turn over. But he would have helped her. He would have comforted her and Luisa would have been his daughter. He would have raised her.

Sirius was still thinking about Zoe and Lu when there was another rattle at his cage. Blinking, he looked up. It was a different auror, older, more grizzly-faced. He grunted at Sirius that he had a visitor. Sirius grinned. He'd not seen Zoe in days.

It was indeed Zoe that the auror led him too, her hair untamed just the way he liked it. She had cropped it shorter than when they had been at Hogwarts. It suited her. She smiled when he entered and he grinned back at her, taking a seat opposite her. He knew that they were not supposed to hug, so he only took her hand across the table.

"Hello," he said fondly.

"Hello," she replied, her dark eyes sparkling. "How are you?"

Sirius swallowed the desperation to be free. "Okay. They've set my trial date." Sirius watched Zoe come alive, her eyes alight with the prospect. "It's in a week."

Her shoulders slumped. "Another week. Sirius, I've spent my life without you!" Her words made Sirius smile, despite her scowl.

"And, when I get out, you'll never have another day without me."

Zoe chuckled. "Perhaps I've signed up for too much."

Sirius shook his head. "When I'm out of here, Zo, I want you and Lu to move into the farmhouse." Zoe's mouth fell open.

"Sirius." She sounded shocked. "There's no room." She was right. "Where would we go?"

"There's a small house on the edge of the property. It used to be the stables but the people before us refurnished it. We could go there. There's three bedrooms."

Sirius offered the three bedrooms, though he knew that they would only use two. At least, he hoped that they would only use two.

"Are you sure you know what you're getting into?"

Sirius smiled and nodded. "I know you, Zoe, and I know what I want."

"You don't know Luisa, though. She's a teenager and hard work!"

Sirius nodded with a grin. "I know. I can't wait." Zoe's eyes creased with her smile.

XXX

"Hermione!" Fred called as Hermione reached the common room after a long day in the library. It was officially OWL season and she was petrified. Fred's smile and beckoning wave made her feel slightly better, her heart jumping for just a moment. She happily followed his wave and took the seat next to him, opposite George and Lee. "Have you eaten?" Fred asked chirpily.

Hermione took stock of the comic in his hand and replied drily, "Have you done any studying today?"

Fred barked out a laugh and Hermione felt pleased to have made him laugh. "I'll have you know, Hermione Granger, that this comic is full of educational facts."

Hermione hummed. "Oh yeah? Tell me one."

"Perpetuo makes things spread without control."

"Mmhmm, nice sixth year spell. Any NEWT material in there?"

Fred laughed. "No, it's all up here," he said, tapping his temple. Hermione rolled her eyes. She knew that Fred and George were lost causes as far as studying was concerned. "Now, have you eaten?" he asked again.

Hermione shook her head, a bit guiltily, her stomach suddenly roaring with hunger. Fred grinned. "Come on, Granger. Let's go to the kitchens." Ignoring the silly tingly feelings, Hermione jumped up and headed to the door, looking back to check Fred was coming and seeing George waggling his eyebrows at Fred.

As she opened the portrait, she furrowed her brow, hoping that George wasn't catching onto the way that Hermione felt about his brother.